New Beginnings
by PugNTurtle
Summary: After a five year absense, Lilian returns to an all new WWE with an all new role. LilianRVD, TrishBubba, LitaHBK, StephBenoit, TorrieKidman
1. Chapter 1

Title: New Beginnings  
  
Author: Katie  
  
E-mail: PugNTurtle@comcast.net  
  
Rating: PG-13, though it could change (Some bad words/mentions of violence)  
  
Summary: Set in the year 2008. A former member of the WWE returns after a bad  
  
marriage to the place she once called home.  
  
Disclaimer: All characters and their respective counterparts are owned by the  
  
WWE. No harm is meant. The only person I own is John, the little bastard.  
  
Pairings/Characters: Lilian/?, Torrie/?, Trish/?, Lita/?, Stephanie/?  
  
Notes: Feedback is always welcome but not begged for. It's not in my character.  
  
~/~  
  
World Wrestling Entertainment, Incorporated.  
  
The woman tried to slow her racing heart and stop her shaking hands, but it was  
  
pretty much a losing battle. Seeing the sign at the front of the huge building  
  
reminded her of what she was going to do. With a tight smile to the  
  
receptionist, she explained why she was in the office building. With a nod, the  
  
receptionist told her where she could find the office. The place where she might  
  
have to get down on her knees and beg.  
  
Five years ago, she had left. Walked out the door of an arena without any  
  
intent to return.  
  
Though that wasn't exactly the total truth. It wasn't her choice, to be totally  
  
honest. John hadn't really given her much choice that night. In fact, he had all  
  
but dragged her away from the life she knew and was used to. John told Vince  
  
that she was done with the business, that she hated him and being part of it,  
  
which was a total and complete lie.  
  
That wasn't the only thing the son of a bitch did. He ruined any chance of hers  
  
to get a job outside of the house. So, that way she was forced to stay inside  
  
the house, cooking and cleaning for the man she thought she loved.  
  
'But love doesn't involve throwing your wife against the wall and slamming her  
  
head against the wooden floor,' the woman thought bitterly. 'Love doesn't  
  
involve beating your wife so badly that she has a miscarriage.' That incident  
  
happened a year ago, the woman fearful to tell her doctors the truth regarding  
  
the deceased child; rather, she had tripped down the stairs.  
  
Apparently everyone else was stupid or blind. The doctor's believed that little  
  
lie. It seemed like she was the only one who knew the awful truth.  
  
The final night, only a week ago, John had left her in a bloody pool, she had  
  
mustered up all the strength possible to run out of the house, to get as far  
  
away as possible. She had spent two long days and nights holed up in different  
  
hotels, trying to get herself calmed down, for she was fearful that somehow her  
  
husband. or soon to be ex-husband, would find her. When she finally had the  
  
courage, the woman cleared out the savings, relieved that John hadn't done so  
  
himself.  
  
Then, she did something that surprised her. She called the corporate office of  
  
World Wrestling Entertainment, or the WWE. The one place where she had felt  
  
accepted and truly loved because Lord knew her parents didn't really care about  
  
her, her life choices, or anything else that had to do with their daughter. She  
  
balled her fists in anger as she remembered the sound of the phone clicking the  
  
first night away from John, the sound of her mother hanging up the phone before  
  
she could even explain why she was calling.  
  
Luckily, the owner of the powerhouse business had agreed to see her. Everyone  
  
remembered what a hard worker the woman was, that was, until her husband  
  
manipulated the beauty and turned her away.  
  
She was relieved that the owner had agreed to the meeting. She traveled by bus  
  
and train to Connecticut from Texas, a long trip that had tested her wits and  
  
patience. Quite a few times during the long trip she wondered what she was  
  
doing, whether she should just go back to John and withstand his abuse. Then,  
  
she remembered the late night beatings, the harassment, and all the other pain.  
  
It was enough to make the little woman seem even more fragile than she already  
  
seemed.  
  
But that was over. John was done, out of her life as soon as she could get a  
  
lawyer. Now, she stood in front of a door, a simple brass plate hanging that  
  
told her she was at the right spot.  
  
Stephanie McMahon.  
  
Owner of World Wrestling Entertainment, Incorporated.  
  
She raised her hand to knock on the door, taking a deep breath and checking to  
  
make sure that her new business suit that she had bought just hours ago was  
  
still neat after she rapped against the wooden frame. Her bruises from John's  
  
last attack were fading and the long sleeves and pants covered the damage  
  
anyway. She was lucky enough to take a long shower at the hotel she managed to  
  
snag during the main vacation period before arriving at the building. Her  
  
formerly long blonde locks had been cropped to her chin and colored a dark brown  
  
just weeks previously, something John had actually allowed her to do.  
  
Before she could fuss much more, the door swung open, revealing the tired but  
  
still youthful face of Stephanie McMahon.  
  
The woman's breath caught in her throat. Five years ago she had walked out on  
  
this woman's father's business. She had left them stranded. And now, she was  
  
speechless.  
  
Stephanie could tell the woman was tongue tied, so she spoke first after taking  
  
in the little blonde's appearance.  
  
"It's good to see you, Lilian." 


	2. Chapter 2

Lilian swallowed, trying to erase the dry feeling that had settled in her  
  
throat at the sight of Stephanie McMahon. "Hello, Ms. McMahon," Lilian finally  
  
said after a long moment.  
  
"Please, Lilian, if you are going to be working for me then it is Stephanie,"  
  
the brunette said with what she hoped was a calming smile, studying the woman in  
  
front of her. The poor thing looked terrified, standing there, almost  
  
shuddering.  
  
Lilian tried to control her breathing, finally managing to say, "Okay,  
  
Stephanie."  
  
"Why don't you have a seat?" Stephanie asked, gesturing to a chair that was in  
  
front of her desk as she crossed behind it to sit in her own seat. "You look  
  
good, Lilian," Stephanie added, nodding approvingly at her new hair cut and  
  
color.  
  
"Thank you," Lilian said with a small smile as she settled down, sitting  
  
tensely in the chair.  
  
Stephanie nodded, drawing in her breath as she looked hard at the former ring  
  
announcer. Lilian shifted uncomfortably at Stephanie's gaze, meeting her eyes  
  
for a long moment. "So you want to come back?"  
  
The sudden dialogue surprised Lilian. She was taken aback for a moment before  
  
replying, "Yes. Yes, I do."  
  
"Why?"  
  
She paused for another moment, trying to choose her words carefully before  
  
looking at Stephanie. "I've missed the business," she finally said. "I miss the  
  
crowds, the excitement, the buzz, my friends, everything. I would have never  
  
left. I would have never left five years ago if John hadn't dragged me out the  
  
arena that night."  
  
"Are you still in contact with him?" Stephanie asked, somewhat sharply.  
  
Lilian jumped again, surprised at the abruptness from the owner. "No," she  
  
replied quickly, "I left John a few days ago after a bad argument. It kept  
  
getting worse and worse and I needed to get away. As soon as I can afford it I  
  
will be hiring a divorce attorney."  
  
"So he's out of the picture?" Stephanie said, looking hard at Lilian.  
  
"Yes, he is. Anyone who hi-" Lilian cut herself off, mentally degrading herself  
  
for almost letting it slip about her abusive husband. There was no way she was  
  
going to blurt out the information about John. It made her look and feel weak  
  
and she hated being that way.  
  
"Anyone who constantly yells at me has no place in my life," Lilian finally said  
  
instead, not missing the suspicious look on Stephanie's face.  
  
However, to Lilian's relief she decided not to pursue the almost slip up.  
  
"That's good," she answered instead, noticing the way Lilian's body relaxed  
  
slightly at the comment.  
  
"Yeah," Lilian replied, unsure of what to say.  
  
Stephanie cleared her throat, finally asking, "Well, Lilian, what exactly do  
  
you want from me?"  
  
"I want to be an employee of yours. I want to be with everyone again, like it  
  
was before John took over my life. I want things to be like what they were in  
  
2003."  
  
"Lilian, the company has changed. With Howard retiring and your leaving within  
  
a month of each other, we were forced to hire another ring announcer, whom we  
  
really like. He and Tony are the sole announcers. The brand split is finished.  
  
We stopped that in late 2003 and they split the duties. A third announcer would  
  
just be silly and pointless."  
  
"So you're saying there is no work for me here?" Lilian asked in a small voice,  
  
feeling almost fragile.  
  
"Oh, Lilian, of course I'm not saying that," Stephanie said gently. "I'm just  
  
saying the ring announcing position isn't open now."  
  
"Okay," Lilian said, drawing out the word. She was confused as to what work  
  
there would be for her if the ring announcing position were closed. That was the  
  
only position she ever worked, save a few miscellaneous angles she had worked.  
  
"Right now, we are looking to change the creative character of one of the guys.  
  
We want him to be a face rather than a heel and have a valet to keep him  
  
straight. He would also pursue the World Title after a few months of feuding  
  
with the Champ," Stephanie said.  
  
"Stephanie, I hate to be lost here, but who is the World Champion? John  
  
wouldn't let me watch the shows," Lilian added hastily when she saw Stephanie  
  
frown.  
  
"Kurt Angle is the champion. He's a really nice guy and would be willing to  
  
work with you and your wrestler," Stephanie told Lilian. "That is, if you wanted  
  
to work with him," she added.  
  
Lilian nodded, deep in thought before asking, "Why me? Why not someone like  
  
Trish or Lita or Jackie Gayda?"  
  
"Trish and Lita are currently the WWE Women's Tag Team champions. Something we  
  
started last year," Stephanie told Lilian when the little brunette looked  
  
surprised. "Jackie Gayda is no longer with the company, nor are Terri or Linda  
  
Miles. All the other women are part of the women's tag team division or already  
  
in storylines. Except for Sable. Daddy made me promise before he died and left  
  
me the business that I would keep Sable around and not fire her. So, her  
  
so-called role is assistant to GM Bischoff. I'm sure she really assists him."  
  
The youngest McMahon's voice was bitter.  
  
"Oh," Lilian replied, the word simply falling off her lips. She couldn't help  
  
but shake at the mention of Vince McMahon. She knew he had died, she caught the  
  
headline in the paper one day when she was off fetching the paper for John. She  
  
wasn't sure of the cause of death and Lilian wasn't about to ask her new boss.  
  
She smirked to herself, wondering if her former boss was rolling in his grave at  
  
the fact his daughter had rehired Lilian Garcia after she walked out on him.  
  
Stephanie sighed and looked at Lilian, the tiredness appearing even more so in  
  
her eyes. "Sorry. I'm not good in talking about Daddy and Sable."  
  
"It's okay, Stephanie. We all have our demons," Lilian said gently, unsure of  
  
what else to say.  
  
Stephanie nodded, knowing that Lilian was also talking about herself rather  
  
than filling in the uncomfortable silence. "Well, are you going to take the  
  
deal?" Stephanie asked. "You look as exhausted as I feel, and I'd like to draw  
  
up a contract sometime tonight if you are going to accept the offer."  
  
Lilian pondered for a long moment. There was no way she would ever go back to  
  
John and her family had pretty much pushed her away. Lilian knew that restarting  
  
her singing career would probably be impossible after six years without a  
  
single. This was her only chance at a new start.  
  
"I'll do it," Lilian finally said, smiling weakly at Stephanie.  
  
"Oh, excellent," Stephanie said, hardly able to contain her excitement. "I was  
  
hoping you would agree!"  
  
"Well, like I said, I've missed the WWE. I've missed living five years of my  
  
life. I hope that this will be a new beginning," Lilian said with a shrug,  
  
giddiness filling her at the sight of Stephanie's joy.  
  
"Well, let's make a contract then."  
  
For the next hour, the two females discussed business. They decided in the  
  
length of her contract, the pay, and her role. Lilian told Stephanie that she  
  
would take bumps from some guys and would wrestle some matches, intergender and  
  
one-on-one so long as she had the proper training.  
  
When Lilian had signed the contract, she stood up, yawning. Stephanie stood up  
  
as well, stretching her arms high above her head. "I can't wait to reintroduce  
  
you to the fans! This is going to be the biggest thing of the year! Do you have  
  
somewhere to stay?" she asked Lilian.  
  
"Yeah, I have a motel. I'll be at the airport tomorrow to catch a flight to Los  
  
Angeles for the SmackDown! show as we discussed."  
  
"Okay," Stephanie said. "I'll call your partner and tell him to come to the  
  
arena early so we can discuss your new storyline."  
  
"You know, Stephanie, we never discussed whom I would be managing," Lilian  
  
pointed out, surprised that they had forgotten that important detail.  
  
"No, we didn't," Stephanie agreed, frowning a little.  
  
"Well, who is it?" Lilian asked, eager to find out whom she was working with  
  
for awhile.  
  
"Rob Van Dam." 


	3. Chapter 3

"What in the hell am I doing?" Lilian fretted, pacing the length of the locker  
  
room where they were waiting for Rob Van Dam to arrive.  
  
"It's okay, Lilian. You'll be great," Stephanie soothed, watching her walk back  
  
and forth.  
  
"What if he hates me?" Lilian asked, drawing her eyes to meet Stephanie.  
  
"Lilian, Rob doesn't hate anyone," Stephanie said, rolling her eyes. She  
  
understood that part of Lilian's fear was just jitters from coming back to the  
  
spotlight, and she couldn't help but be sympathetic for that issue. However, the  
  
older woman knew better, that there was something more. Stephanie McMahon knew  
  
that the ex-husband of Lilian Garcia did something to the woman, for she was  
  
very jumpy, more so than before she left five years ago. Stephanie could tell  
  
that it was only a matter of time before the little brunette cracked and told  
  
her the truth, but for now, Stephanie wouldn't press the issue.  
  
Both women jumped as a knock on the door broke both Lilian and Stephanie out of  
  
their thoughts. Stephanie covered up her surprise at the sudden arrival and  
  
smiled encouragingly at Lilian, who looked as if she was about to find somewhere  
  
to hide.  
  
"Come in, Rob," Stephanie called.  
  
"Dude, Steph, they announced just minutes ago the new inductees of the baseball  
  
hall of fame. Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn were inducted. You so owe me $50," Rob  
  
said, a smile lighting up his face.  
  
"Ah, but Rob, we never shook on it," Stephanie said, winking at the charismatic  
  
man.  
  
"Oh, you got me there," Rob said, looking at Lilian, who was now leaning  
  
against the wall to support her weak knees. "Hey," he said, smiling at her and  
  
turning to talk to Stephanie, only to do a double take. "Am I seeing a ghost?"  
  
he asked, raising an eyebrow at Stephanie.  
  
"No, Rob," Stephanie said with a smile. "You remember Lilian Garcia, don't  
  
you?"  
  
"Yes. yes I do," Rob said, covering the shock on his face quickly. "How are you  
  
doing, Lilian?"  
  
She opened her mouth, blushing when no sound came out. "I. I'm okay. now that  
  
I'm home I'm okay," Lilian stammered, mustering a smile.  
  
"I thought you were from Spain?" Rob asked, confused.  
  
"She means the WWE, idiot," Stephanie said, nudging Rob in the ribs.  
  
"Oh. so you're back?" Rob asked, unable to hide the surprise in his voice.  
  
Lilian nodded, and Rob smiled, though there was confusion in his face.  
  
"Yes, she is Rob. And she is going to be your manager with the push we promised  
  
you," Stephanie said. "We'll kick off the show tonight with you going out and  
  
saying that you deserve a World Title shot. However, you say that with Team  
  
Angle in his corner the fight isn't fair. That's when Lilian comes out, saying  
  
that she can help you to rise to the World Title hunt," she explained. "You  
  
agree, and tonight Lilian will help you beat Chris Benoit. The rest of the feud  
  
will last for about a month before Rob wins the title. What do you think?"  
  
Rob's eyebrows were high at the end of Stephanie's explanation. "Steph. dude,  
  
that's a great plan. but do you really think that the crowd will accept the  
  
former ring announcer as my manager?" he asked skeptically.  
  
Lilian's face crumpled as she heard Rob's words. "See, I told you he would hate  
  
me," she cried, tearing from the room.  
  
"Aw, shoot," Rob said as he watched her retreating form. "I didn't mean to hurt  
  
her feelings."  
  
"Yeah, I know, Rob. It's not your fault. She's very jumpy," Stephanie said  
  
sadly. "I know her husband did something to her but I am not going to pressure  
  
her."  
  
"I should go look for her," Rob said worriedly.  
  
"We both will," Stephanie replied, patting him on the shoulder.  
  
Lilian, meanwhile, was putting as much distance as she could between Rob Van  
  
Dam and herself as possible. Tears were blinding her vision and it was only a  
  
collision with someone else that stopped the little woman's hasty retreat and  
  
sent the two off balance.  
  
"I am so sorry," she sputtered, not sure of whom she ran into but embarrassed  
  
nonetheless.  
  
"It's okay," a familiar voice said, turning so that they could lock eyes. "We  
  
all need to get away."  
  
Her voice trailed off, and Lilian smiled, even more tears coming to her eyes at  
  
the shocked look of the woman she had just collided with. "Yes it is me,  
  
Torrie," Lilian said, answering the woman's unasked question.  
  
"How. why?" Torrie Wilson-Kidman asked, tears of her own coming to her eyes.  
  
"There's a really long story to that," Lilian said with a sigh, opening her  
  
arms for a hug.  
  
"Oh, Lily, I've missed you so much," Torrie sobbed, all but leaping into  
  
Lilian's arms. The two women clung to each other, their sobs echoing in the  
  
empty halls, for two friends had been reunited. 


	4. Chapter 4

"Hey."  
  
Though his voice was soft and gentle, the little woman still jumped.  
  
She hated the way she felt around men. And though there was no way Rob Van Dam  
  
could have known about her previous relationship with John, it didn't mean that  
  
she wouldn't be nervous around him, even if they were in a crowded hallway  
  
bustling with last minute show preparations.  
  
"Hi," Lilian finally replied, managing a small smile for Rob.  
  
Gesturing to the empty space next to her, Lilian pulled her knees up to her  
  
chest, wrapping her slender arms around them. Lilian was glad that her long  
  
sleeves and rounded collar of the shirt she wore covered the bruises John had  
  
left only two days ago. She didn't need the fans to start rumors as to why she  
  
had bruises on her arms and shoulders. Lilian was also happy that Rob and  
  
Stephanie had found her earlier after she had taken off and explained that he  
  
hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. Still, Lilian felt a little bad running off  
  
without listening to Rob. She really didn't want him to think of her only as an  
  
overemotional female.  
  
"How are you doing? Nervous?" Rob asked, taking a seat next to  
  
Lilian.  
  
"Yeah. I am. Very. I mean. how are the fans going to react when I am  
  
the one who walks out of the curtain to be your manager? Will they even remember  
  
me?" Lilian asked, frowning slightly.  
  
"If they can remember pretty faces then I am sure they will remember  
  
you," Rob said softly, not surprised when the little brunette blushed and ducked  
  
her head. Smiling slightly, Rob reached over and grabbed Lilian's hand,  
  
squeezing it gently. "You will do fine, Lilian. They are going to love you to  
  
pieces," Rob continued.  
  
"I sure hope so." Lilian said, her voice trailing off. Rob looked at  
  
her patiently, still holding her hand in his, wanting her to continue. "I mean.  
  
it seemed so perfect, Rob, to just walk back into the Titan Towers and be  
  
employed again. But now the fear I have settling in my stomach is just  
  
unbearable. I came back here. I wanted to escape the fear but I just went  
  
headfirst into it once again," Lilian said with a sigh.  
  
"What fear is that, Lilian?" Rob asked, his light eyes searching  
  
hers.  
  
"The fear of not being accepted. The fear that you will never do  
  
anything right." Lilian looked at Rob, tears welling in her eyes.  
  
"Lily. The fans loved you before and they will love you now," Rob  
  
said, brushing a tear from her cheek. "After you left, I heard a lot of fans  
  
asking about you, about what had happened to you and why you left so suddenly.  
  
No one ever knew why. We all suspected that it had to do with John, but we would  
  
never say anything about you. Mostly out of not knowing, but we didn't want to  
  
disrespect you."  
  
"Thank you for that. I need someone to tell me that I am loved and  
  
it's good that people actually cared for me. It's not really for the fans to  
  
know," Lilian murmured. She gave a weak smile to Rob before continuing, "Though  
  
sometimes I wish people had known what John did to me."  
  
"What did he do to you?" Rob asked gently, more out of curiosity  
  
than nosiness.  
  
Lilian sighed, drawing her eyes away from Rob's again. "I'm not  
  
ready," she said after a long pause. "I can't. I don't."  
  
"It's okay," Rob said softly, squeezing her hand once more before  
  
letting go. "Let's talk about tonight's angle."  
  
"Okay," Lilian said, relieved that Rob had dropped the issue so  
  
quickly.  
  
"It's set as me going out and saying that I deserve a shot at the  
  
title. However, with Team Angle at Kurt's side, the fight isn't fair, blah blah  
  
blah." Lilian smiled at how calm Rob seemed, and he continued, "That's when you  
  
make your entrance. The crowd is pleased, and you say you can be in my corner to  
  
keep Angle's squad out of the way. Angle's music will hit, we jaw at each other  
  
for a bit, and then Steph comes out and orders the RVD/Angle match for the next  
  
Pay-Per-View, which is four weeks away. Then she will make the Benoit/RVD and  
  
Angle/Lesnar match for tonight."  
  
Lilian nodded, smiling slightly. She had been through this earlier  
  
with Stephanie but it didn't hurt to have a little refresher, something that she  
  
had learned a long time ago. She was finally starting to feel excited about her  
  
debut. or redebut. or whatever it was. However, the butterflies stirred up again  
  
when a man stepped in front of the two.  
  
"Lilian, Rob, you two are up." 


	5. Chapter 5

"You did fucking great!" Stephanie squealed, running up to Lilian  
  
and giving her a huge hug. Kurt Angle, Charlie Haas, and Shelton Benjamin all  
  
smiled at the brunette woman as well, keeping their distance but wanting to let  
  
her know that she did a great job out there.  
  
Rob smiled as he wrapped his arm around Lilian, hesitating slightly  
  
at the tension he felt in her body, but relaxing when she did so. "That's my  
  
manager," Rob said, giving her a light squeeze before letting go.  
  
"They loved you, Lilian," Stephanie gushed. "They went nuts when you  
  
emerged from behind the curtain! I can still hear the people buzzing!"  
  
It was true. Lilian felt like she was floating as she listened to  
  
the crowd's cheering. However, she was snapped out of her happy state as Kurt  
  
cleared his throat.  
  
"You really did do well out there, Lilian," he said. "I really am  
  
looking forward to working closer to you."  
  
"Thank you," Lilian said with a shy smile.  
  
"We better get going," Shelton added. "Big matches tonight."  
  
"Okay," Lilian said.  
  
The three walked away and Stephanie grinned at Lilian again. "I am  
  
so proud of you! I have other work to do but I just wanted to let you know that  
  
I am so happy to have you back home."  
  
Home. There it was again. Lilian couldn't help but smile as  
  
Stephanie gave her another quick hug before leaving. She turned, seeing Rob  
  
smile at her.  
  
"What?" Lilian asked with a grin of her own.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Rob said. "I better go stretch. You look like you  
  
need to bask in the glory before we meet up again. Okay?"  
  
"That's great," Lilian said absently, watching as Rob nodded at her  
  
and walked away and around the corner.  
  
With a small sigh, Lilian turned, only to nearly walk into someone.  
  
"Excuse me," she said politely, moving to walk around them but frowning as the  
  
person blocked her path.  
  
"So, you think that you can just waltz back in here to the top," the  
  
tall blonde woman said, glaring at Lilian.  
  
"Oh, nice to see you again, Sable," Lilian said, the sarcasm obvious  
  
in her voice.  
  
"Don't be a fucking bitch, Lilian," Sable snarled, taking a step  
  
closer to Lilian. The smaller woman quickly backed up, flashes of John running  
  
through her head. "I don't know who you slept with but you can't just magically  
  
show up again and expect everyone to treat you like a princess."  
  
"Gee, are you talking about me or yourself, Sable?" Lilian  
  
questioned, satisfaction filling her at the insulted look on the blonde's face.  
  
"Look, bitch, I run the show now despite what Stephanie McMahon  
  
thinks. And I can get rid of you just like that," Sable said, taking another  
  
step closer to Lilian, only to have the little woman step back again.  
  
"Last time I checked, your last name wasn't McMahon," Lilian said  
  
calmly, trying to calm her temper. The last thing she needed was reports of a  
  
fight on her first night back to break out.  
  
"I have power around here, my dear," Sable said, brushing a lock of  
  
hair out of Lilian's eyes.  
  
"Don't you dare touch me," Lilian said angrily, slapping Sable's  
  
hand away.  
  
"What, are you afraid of me?" Sable said with a laugh, taking  
  
another step closer to Lilian.  
  
"Get the fuck away from me," Lilian said, her emotions now boiling  
  
to the surface. This was all to close to the way John would act before he would  
  
beat her and Lilian really didn't like to revisit that time. She took a step  
  
back, only to have Sable step even closer, a wild glean in her eyes at the  
  
prospect of making Lilian nervous.  
  
However, the smile slipped off her lips as the tall blonde looked  
  
behind Lilian. The little brunette could feel someone's presence behind her, but  
  
she wasn't going to turn her back on Sable. The blonde licked her lips  
  
nervously, taking a few steps from Lilian before turning and striding away from  
  
her.  
  
Lilian sighed, relieved that Sable was gone, if only for the moment.  
  
She knew that Sable never liked her, most likely because she was popular among  
  
both girls and guys and Lilian was good friends with Torrie, whom Sable hated  
  
with a passion. She wasn't going to think about that right now, for she had to  
  
thank someone for backing her up and scaring Sable away.  
  
Lilian turned, the words forming on her lips but no sound coming out  
  
when she saw who was standing there.  
  
The gleaming title belts around their waists and their hair was  
  
different, but there was no mistaking the face.  
  
Trish and Lita were looking at her as if they didn't believe she was  
  
even there. 


	6. Chapter 6

Lilian swallowed, willing the tears that welled up in her eyes away. "Hey," she whispered, smiling weakly at Trish and Lita.

Trish and Lita stared at Lilian for a few moments, still shocked that she was

actually there. Trish was the first to move, stepping forward and hesitantly

touching Lilian's hair.

"You dyed your hair," Trish whispered, stroking the soft strands. She trailed

her hand down to rest on Lilian's shoulder. As Trish ran her eyes up and down

Lilian's slender body, she added, "You've lost weight."

Lilian nodded, afraid to speak out of fear of bursting into tears.

"Why?" Lita whispered, stepping forward as well. She reached out, touching

Lilian's arm, as if making sure that she was really there and not a figment of her imagination.

"What?" Lilian asked, confused.

"Why did you leave?"

"It's a long, painful, and difficult story to explain," Lilian murmured.

"Believe me, I hated walking out on this business. It hurt me so bad but John

gave me no choice."

"What about him? Is he here?" Trish asked sharply. She never did like Lilian's husband, especially the way he treated her, but she did support her best friend.

"No," Lilian whispered. "He's gone. We're finished."

"Did he hurt you?" Lita asked quietly.

"I don't want to talk about that." Lilian bit her lip, willing the memories of her husband to go away.

"Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry," Lita murmured, wrapping Lilian in a hug. The brunette rested her forehead against Lita's shoulder, closing her eyes to stop the tears that were welling. The choked up feeling didn't stop when Trish wrapped her arms around Lilian as well, holding her friend closely.

"God, I've missed you so much," Trish murmured. "You have no clue how happy you being here makes me."

"The feeling's definitely mutual, Trish," Lilian replied with a sigh. "I'm so

glad to be home."

Lita pulled back, smiling at Lilian. "You okay, honey?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"So… uh, what are you doing tonight?" Trish asked.

"Nothing. It's been a long few days. I'm probably just going to crash at the

hotel."

"Why don't you come get some drinks with us? If you're up for it, that is."

"Who all's going to be there?" Lilian asked somewhat warily.

"Probably Steph, Torrie, Benoit, Bubba, Shawn, Billy, and us. We're a pretty

tight group."

"Oh, I don't want to intrude…" Lilian hesitated.

"Aw, come on," Trish pleaded. "It's been so long since we've hung out! Invite

Rob too."

"It'll be fun," Lita said, nudging Lilian gently in the ribs.

"I'll think about it," Lilian replied. "I'm not promising anything, though."

"Oh, I knew you'd say yes!" Trish giggled. Lilian shook her head, amused. Trish certainly hadn't changed in five years.

Lilian glanced at her watch, and said, "Look, guys, I need to go find Rob. We

have a match in twenty minutes and I want to go over everything with him and

Chris."

"All right," Lita agreed. "Good luck out there. Though I doubt you'll need it."

"Thanks," Lilian answered with a tiny grin.

"See you later," Trish chimed in. Lilian nodded toward the two, and Trish added, "Lil? It's really good to have you back. We've both missed you. A lot of people have."

Lilian nodded again, fighting the tears that were threatening once again.

"Later," she said, turning and walking down the hall.

"I'm not sure I really want to be here," Lilian fretted to Rob as they stood at the entrance of the dim bar.

"Hey, we don't have to go in," Rob shrugged, wrapping an arm across Lilian's

shoulders. He felt her tense up, and he quickly removed his arm. "Sorry," he

apologized, feeling bad immediately.

"It's not you," Lilian sighed. "Plus, I need to get out. I spent too many nights cooped up thanks to John."

"Hey," Rob said softly, taking her arm gently. "If you need to talk, I'm here. Not only as a partner but as a friend."

Lilian nodded, hugging Rob quickly. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Rob smiled, then said, "I think I see them over there. You okay?"

"Yeah," Lilian replied. She smiled at Rob, the first true smile in awhile.

"Let's go have some fun."

"And then Bubba and I-"

"Okay, Trish, that's more than enough info!" Torrie declared, holding up her

Martini glass.

"Aw, come on, don't you want to hear about the sex swing?" Bubba interjected,

the large man swaying slightly in his chair as he leaned over to wrap his arm

around Trish.

"No!" Stephanie, Torrie, and Lita exclaimed at the same time. The guys and

Lilian all shook their heads. Lilian couldn't help but think what a good time

she was having. Even with the nagging thoughts of John in her head she was happy to be with her real family.

"So, Steph, how is your sex life with Christopher?" Trish slurred, nearly

dumping her Sangria on Lilian as she leaned over to harass the owner.

"That's none of your business, Patricia," Steph said, raising an eyebrow, though her tone was somewhat playful.

"Man, I never thought I'd see Chris Benoit blush," Lilian remarked, taking a sip of her Pepsi. Benoit ducked his head in response, but not before scratching the side of his nose with his middle finger in Lilian's direction, sending peals of laughter around the table.

"You're tanked, aren't you Trish?" Shawn asked, shaking his head.

"I'm not sure," Trish replied, thinking. "What does the ocean have to do with

anything?"

"I take that as a yes," Rob remarked, taking a sip of his water.

"You guys are so boring," Trish remarked, realizing that Lilian and Rob were the only two not drinking alcohol. "Here I thought Billy was the boring one."

Kidman protested Trish remarks, and Lilian glanced at Rob. He was watching her closely, making sure she was comfortable. Lilian nodded slightly to show Rob she was okay, and he glanced away quickly, turning his attention to Lita and Shawn.

"So, Lita, Shawn, how are the wedding plans going?" Rob asked.

"You're getting married?" Lilian squealed. "I didn't even notice!"

"I don't wear a ring," Lita replied, holding up her finger. "I don't want to

lose it and Shawn's love is enough for me."

"That's so sweet. And romantic," Stephanie sighed.

"What are you talking about? You love diamonds," Benoit pointed out.

"I didn't say it was sweet and romantic for me," Steph said with a huge grin.

"I think that was a hint, dude," Rob said.

"Yeah, me too," Shawn added.

"Someday, I'm sure," Benoit said, glancing at Stephanie, love filling his eyes. Lilian hid a smile. It was obvious Chris loved Stephanie. Still, Lilian felt a tiny twinge of jealousy. Hopefully one day she would be able to love someone again.

"Are you getting married?" Lita all but shrieked, nearly falling out of her

chair.

"One day, hopefully," Stephanie answered, squeezing Chris' hand.

"Who's ready for another round?" Billy asked.

"Me! Me! Me!" Trish squealed. "I want a… a… a… Martirini… I mean, a Martirita… uh… Sangarita… uh…"

"Sweetie… I think you've had enough," Bubba chuckled.

"You're so boring, Peanut," Trish pouted. Lita and Stephanie exchanged a

confused look at Trish's nickname for Bubba, though they knew they could use it as blackmail later. Trish glanced at Lilian, her eyes lighting up. "Hey! Lilian, you're Spanish right?"

"Uh… yeah," Lilian replied, wary.

"I just realized… if you add an 'S' to your name and mix the letters around, you get 'Gracias!' G-R-C… I mean, A… uh…" Trish mumbled, thinking hard.

"You are so drunk, Trish," Shawn pointed out, amused, shaking his head.

Trish nodded sheepishly in agreement.

"On that note, I think I'll take her up to bed," Bubba said, helping Trish to

stand.

"Yeah, Torrie looks kind of tired too," Billy said, nodding towards his wife,

who was resting her forehead against the table.

"Chris, you ready for bed?" Steph asked her boyfriend, standing up and

stretching.

"I bet he is," Lita giggled, causing Chris to blush again.

"Lita doesn't usually talk like this," Shawn told Lilian, "So it's time to put her to bed too."

"What am I, a baby?" Lita grumbled, though she leaned heavily on Shawn when he helped her to stand.

"Well, I guess the party poopers are leaving too," Rob said with a shrug,

standing as he yawned widely. Lilian stood as well, stifling a yawn as well.

"Who's paying for all this?" Trish asked, staring at the numerous glasses that were on the table.

"Steph. She's the owner," Lita giggled, stumbling into Shawn.

Stephanie shook her head, grumbling as she tossed her Visa card on the table.

"You all owe me big time!" she growled towards Lita and Trish.

Seconds later their waiter returned with the receipt, wishing them a good night. The group walked out the door, or in some cases, staggered. "Well, good night all," Lilian told them, heading up to her room. She smiled to herself, glad that she actually had a good time rather than brooding over her ex-husband all night.

Lilian entered her single hotel room, tossing her purse aside and stripping off her shirt. Noticing she had a message on the answering machine, she sat on the edge of her bed, pressing the play button. She froze when she heard the voice fill the room.

"I know where you are, Lilian. You think you can escape me but I'll always be

there in your mind. I'll be at every show to torment you. I don't even have to lift a finger to hurt you. I'll always be in your head."

"Oh, God!" Lilian gasped, picking her shirt up off the floor and hastily pulling it over her head. She ran out of the hotel room, barely remembering to lock the door behind her. She ran down the hall, relieved when she found her destination yet panicked enough to pound on the door.

Rob opened the door quickly, grabbing Lilian by the arm and pulling her in. She was breathing hard as Rob asked, "Lilian! What's wrong?"

Lilian breathed hard as Rob gently led her to the bed, helping her to sit. "I… I…" she stammered, shivering even though the room was fairly warm.

Rob grabbed the blanket at the end of the bed, wrapping Lilian in it carefully. "Lilian, it's okay, sweetie. Just tell me what happened."

Lilian took a deep breath, willing her pounding heart to slow. "I got back to

the hotel room and there was a message. John knows where I am, Rob. He said he's always going to be in my mind."

Rob listened silently as Lilian sobbed, pulling her close to him. He gritted his teeth, stroking her back gently.

Lilian's ex-husband was going to pay.

End Part 6


	7. Chapter 7

"What the hell do you mean there's nothing you can do? He threatened her, for

God's sake!" Rob said angrily, his face red. It wasn't often Rob Van Dam became mad, but this was certainly warranted, especially since the security guards the hotel provided were being useless.

"There's no message, sir. There's not a whole lot we can do about it. Maybe if the message was saved…" the guard trailed off sympathetically.

"How the hell was she supposed to know the machine automatically deletes

messages after five minutes? Huh? We weren't notified of that!" Rob exclaimed.

"Rob, calm down," Lilian said softly, resting a hand on his elbow. Rob glanced at her, seeing her shaking form on the bed, the frightened look in her eyes. He immediately felt guilty for being so loud, knowing the noise had to be part of the reason she was frightened.

Rob took a breath, turning to the hotel security guards. "So there's nothing you can do without a message?" he confirmed tensely, crossing his arms.

"That is correct, sir," the guard said. "I don't doubt Ms. Garcia's claims at

all, but unfortunately our hands are tied."

Rob nodded, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "Okay. Thank you," he said.

Rob guided them to the door, letting them out before turning to Lilian. "Pack up your stuff."

"Excuse me?" Lilian asked, confused.

"Pack up your things. You're not staying alone tonight."

Lilian chuckled softly, crossing her legs nervously. "Rob, I'll be fine," she

began, only to be cut off by him.

"Lilian, I'm sure you'll be okay, but I don't want you to be alone, and I'm sure behind that stubborn head of yours you don't want to be alone either. So why don't you spend the night with me, in my room. I have a couch that folds out into a bed, so you'll be able to sleep peacefully. Plus, I'd feel better if you were with me," Rob explained.

Lilian thought for a second, then protested, "I don't want to inconvenience you, Rob. I feel like a nuisance as it is."

"Hey," Rob chastised gently, kneeling in front of her yet keeping a respectful distance. "I don't know what John told you, but you're not a nuisance nor have you ever been. Except when you stole my weed." Lilian laughed softly at the comment, and Rob continued, "So, for both of our sakes, please, stay with me tonight. I'll arrange for us to room together as well." Lilian was quiet for a moment, and Rob added, "If you refuse, I'll knock on your door every five minutes to make sure you're okay."

Lilian giggled, slapping him playfully on the shoulder. "You're such a pain,"

she said, though her tone was affectionate.

"Yeah, but you love me." Rob stood, extending a hand to help Lilian up. She

accepted the gesture, smiling at him before turning to pack up her clothes.

"Now this is room service," Lilian said with a sigh, looking at the remains of a huge ice cream sundae a chef had made for them. Rob and Lilian had devoured the ice cream, leaving only a couple spoonfuls of melted ice cream and fudge in the bottom of the silver bowl. She yawned slightly, glancing at her watch, surprised to see it was after one in the morning. "I don't know about you, but sugar has a reverse effect on me. It makes me tired," Lilian told Rob.

"Dude, no way! I've only met a few other people who are immune to sugar," Rob

exclaimed. "That's nuts!"

"On that note, I think it's time for bed," Lilian proclaimed.

"I agree," Rob said, stifling a yawn. He stood up, stripping off his t-shirt to climb onto the conversion couch. Rob settled down on the couch, noticing Lilian looking at him. "What's up, doll?" he asked her.

"This is going to sound totally off the wall, but…"

"What's wrong?" he repeated, concerned.

"It's just… I feel vulnerable sleeping alone. Would you… would you mind sleeping next to me? I'd feel safer," Lilian stammered shyly. "If you don't want to, I totally understand why-"

"It's totally cool, Lil," Rob shrugged, standing up to walk back over to her. He laid next to her carefully, on top of the covers.

"You know, Rob, I don't bite," Lilian said with a small smile.

Rob blushed, then replied, "I usually get hot during the night. Not in that

way!" he exclaimed when Lilian blushed. "I have warm blood," he explained. "I

sweat a lot so I'll stay above the covers."

"Oh."

"Hey, I usually don't have to make the bed," Rob pointed out, and Lilian smiled to herself.

She turned, laying on her side so her back was facing him, snuggling under the covers. "Good night, Rob," she said softly. "Thank you for everything."

"No problem, doll. Sleep tight."

With that, they fell asleep.

End Part 7


	8. Chapter 8

"You fucking bitch!"

"John, please, no-"

Her words were cut off when John's foot connected with her ribs. He had just thrown her down on the ground in a drunken rage. Lilian gasped in pain, reaching out to try to crawl away from John. However, John stepped on Lilian's outstretched hand, causing her to cry out in pain.

"Please, stop!" she cried out as she cradled her hand to her stomach. John didn't respond; rather, he grabbed Lilian by the shirt and slammed her into the wall. Their wedding picture fell to the ground, shattering into a million pieces.

"Look what you did, you stupid BITCH!" John yelled, slapping his wife across the jaw. "You see what you did!" Lilian didn't respond as John slammed her against the wall and hit her again, yelling, "ANSWER ME!"

"I didn't do anything, John," Lilian pleaded, fighting back tears as John threw her to the ground, kicking her in the stomach over and over again.

Lilian sat up with a start, sweat rolling down her forehead as she cradled her hand to her stomach. She gasped, trying to control her breathing as she flexed her hand. It was strange, but it almost felt as it did when John had broken her hand a year ago by stepping on it in the middle of a major fight.

"Lil? You okay, doll?"

She took a deep breath, mustering a small smile for Rob, who was gazing up at her, sleepy. "It's okay. I just had a bad dream."

"Oh… are you okay?"

"Yeah, Rob, I'm fine. Go ahead and go back to sleep."

Lilian stood up, walking slowly to sit in the overstuffed chair that overlooked the city. It was weird, but her stomach and chest hurt too. Not to mention the headache that seemed to have overtaken her. With a small sigh, Lilian settled down into the chair, staring out into the city lights.

"What was your dream about?" Lilian jumped when Rob spoke up a few minutes later. Lilian closed her eyes, tilting her head to the air. "It's okay if you don't want to talk, but remember, I'm here if you need to talk," Rob added.

Lilian took a deep breath, crossing her arms and folding her knees up to her chest. "John… used to get really drunk and beat the shit out of me. I just relived one of those moments in a nightmare of mine."

"What happened?"

"I honestly don't remember, Rob," Lilian replied, running a hand over her face. "All I remember is that Rob called me a fucking bitch, threw me down, then kicked me, stomped on my hand, and slapped me around. I passed out and woke up in the hospital with a concussion, two broken ribs and a broken wrist."

"How come the hospital didn't do anything?"

"Apparently, John told them that I was attacked while jogging and I was too scared he was going to hurt me if I told the police."

Rob and Lilian were silent for a few moments, before Rob spoke up quietly. "Come on over and come back to bed. I'll hold you until you go to sleep."

"You can't protect me from my dreams, Rob," Lilian said quietly.

"I can protect you from everything else, Lilian," Rob replied softly, patting the bed next to him.

With another soft sigh, Lilian stood up, walking over to the bed and laying down next to Rob. She allowed him to wrap his arms around her gently, holding her closely.

"It's going to be okay, Lilian. I'll make sure of that," Rob whispered.

"Thank you," Lilian replied, closing her eyes.

But sleep was a long way coming for Lilian.

"Hey, girl!" Trish said with a giggle as she met up with Lilian at the elevator.

"How can you be so fucking chipper the morning after drinking so much, Patricia, when I didn't even have one?" Lilian grumbled good-naturedly, rubbing a hand over her face.

"Oh, it's easy. Especially if you try what Bubba and I did last-"

"I don't want to know anymore, Trish!" Lilian said with a grin, covering her ears.

"You're no fun," Trish said, nudging Lilian with her elbow. "So, what are your plans today?"

"I don't know, Trish. You?"

"Well, there's a salon around the corner. I wanted to get a pedicure and a trim. You want to come?"

"You know, I think I will come with you," Lilian said. "I want to go blonde again. I've been thinking about it for awhile."

"Sweet!" Trish said, throwing her arms around Lilian, not noticing when the brunette tensed up slightly. "It'll be a girl's day out!"

The two ate breakfast quickly, meeting up with Rob and Bubba before they left to let them know they were going to have a girl's day out before the house show that night. Lita and Shawn came down later, both looking slightly hung over and sheepish.

"Please tell me I didn't make an ass out of myself last night," Lita said with a moan, staring glumly at the cup of black coffee Shawn set in front of her.

"Nah, that was Trish's job," Lilian replied.

"Ha ha, very funny," Trish said, grinning as she punched her friend lightly on the shoulder. "Hey, Li, Lil and I are having a girl's day out thingy. You in?"

"You know it," Lita answered. "I think I'll get a facial. Hopefully it'll help get rid of my headache."

"I have another way of getting rid of it," Shawn whispered, grinning when Lita turned as red as her hair.

"On that note, we're leaving," Lita proclaimed, standing up and grabbing Lilian and Trish's hands. "Come on, before these knuckleheads decide they want to come with us."

"Aw, come on, I was thinking of dying my hair purple," Rob said dryly, patting the ponytail hanging loosely at the nape of his neck.

The five others laughed, and Lilian replied, "Don't even think of it! I think Stephanie would kill you."

"Nah, I wouldn't do that," Rob said with a grin. "Have fun, ladies."

Lita and Shawn kissed, then Bubba and Trish. Lilian tried not to look at Rob as they did this. "Bye, Rob," she said shyly, walking behind Trish and Lita as they left.

Rob watched almost wistfully as Lilian left, then glanced over at Shawn and Bubba, who were both grinning mischievously. "Don't even go there, guys," Rob warned, paying his bill and leaving a tip before standing up to leave.

Shawn and Bubba watched as Rob left, looking almost lost as he tried to decide which way to go.

"He's got it bad," Bubba claimed to Shawn as soon as Rob was out of sight.

"Oh, yeah," Shawn replied slyly. "I know."


	9. Chapter 9

"Lil, I love it, I love it, I love it!" Trish squealed as she came from the back room of the salon where she had just gotten her pedicure and saw her friend's hair. Lilian had decided to get blonde highlights, something she hadn't done since she and John had gotten married. She smiled at Trish, admiring her new hairdo as the stylist put the finishing touches on her hair. Lita sat next to Lilian, dozing slightly, her facial finished long ago.

"Thanks, Trish, I like it, too," Lilian said shyly. "Your hair is cute," she added, noting the trim and style her stylist had done for Trish. She glanced at Lita, grinning, as she added, "And Li is so fascinated too."

"Shut up, I'm just resting my eyes," Lita grumbled, wiping her bleary eyes with her hand.

"Uh, huh, sure you are," Trish teased.

"Look blondie, remember who your partner is. I can very easily 'not be in position for the hot tag' when you're getting your ass kicked," Lita shot back.

"Hey, hey, now come on. That's low. And why am I always the one getting my ass kicked?" Trish asked as Lilian laughed.

"Cause I can fight off anyone I want with one arm tied behind my back," Lita said dryly.

"Now I know why my brother is obsessed with wrestling," the older stylist doing Lilian's hair interjected. "Are you guys this humorous on screen?"

"Eh. It depends," Trish said with a shrug.

"You're all done, sweetheart," the stylist said, spraying Lilian's hair with hairspray one more time.

"Thank you so much," Lilian replied, patting her hair and admiring it in the mirror one more time before standing up.

The three ladies paid for their services, then exited the salon. "Where to next?" Lita asked, glancing at Trish. She was relieved that Lilian seemed to be having fun. Lita and Trish had talked about Lilian and how jumpy she seemed. They both had a strong feeling John had done something to hurt her, but knew better than to press. When Lilian wanted to talk, she would talk.

"How about food?" Trish suggested. "I'm kinda hungry."

"You know, for someone so skinny, you eat a lot," Lita said jokingly, nudging Trish with her elbow.

"Aw. Come on Red, you know it's my shitty metabolism," Trish whined playfully.

"I'd say it's pretty good metabolism if you can clear a buffet and not gain a pound," Lilian teased.

"Look, Lil, don't make me kick your ass, too," Trish joked, grabbing Lilian's upper arm and pulling her toward her as if she was about to fight.

Lilian immediately stiffened, her guard going up at the rough contact, as innocent as it was. Trish felt her friend's muscles tense, and immediately let go. Lilian backed away as soon as Trish released her, her arm going up to rub the area.

The three women were silent for a few moments, Trish and Lita exchanging a nervous glance as Lilian stared at the ground, ashamed. Finally, Trish cleared her throat and said softly, "Jesus, Lil, I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Trish," Lilian said in a whisper. "I think I'm just overreacting."

"No, I'm sorry. That was insensitive," Trish conceded, cautiously wrapping an arm around Lilian's shoulder. When the blonde didn't flinch or pull away, she kept it there. "How about we eat?"

"Sounds good to me," Lita said as brightly as possible, wrapping her arm around Lilian's waist. Lilian managed a small smile, quietly allowing her friends to lead her to a nearby restaurant, missing the worried look the two exchanged over her head.

The three ladies exited the restaurant an hour later, laughing over Trish's flirting with a young waiter. The poor kid was drooling as soon as the three had walked into the restaurant, dropping their menus and almost spilling Lilian's water on Lita. As if the poor kid wasn't nervous enough, Trish had decided it would be fun to flirt with the kid.

"Trish, you're bad. I'm telling Bubba," Lita teased, poking her friend in the side.

"Me? You're the one who asked for strawberries and whipped cream for dessert and then kept licking it off your fingers!" Trish shot back, taking off after Lita. The redhead giggled, running away from Trish as the blonde chased after her. Lilian followed at a slower pace, simply shaking her head at her two friends antics. She noticed Rob, Shawn, Bubba, Torrie, and Billy in the hotel pool, soaking up the sum and swimming.

It wasn't until Lilian heard a car engine revving that the hairs on the back on her neck stood up. Looking up sharply, her stomach dropped when she saw a car speeding directly toward where Lita and Trish were playfully fighting in the parking lot. They hadn't noticed or seen the car now speeding toward them.

"Lita, Trish, look out," Lilian yelled, breaking out into a run as she dropped their leftover food on the pavement. Lita and Trish looked up, fear registering in their eyes as they saw the car heading directly for them.

Lilian ran as fast as possible, diving at Trish and Lita in an attempt to push them out of the way before the car hit them. All three women crashed to the ground as the car sped by, inches from hitting Lilian's legs. The driver of the car slammed on the brakes, jerking the wheel around so they were again facing the three women.

"Move!" Lilian yelled, shoving Trish and Lita away again, struggling to stand as the car aimed for the three women. She barely dove out of the way, watching numbly as the car crashed into a nearby fence. Lilian stared, terrified, as the car slammed into reverse, then into drive. She struggled to stand, prepared to once again leap out of the way. However, instead of going after the ladies this time, the driver sped away, knowing that the chance to take them out was over and they needed to get out of there.

Lilian watched numbly as the car sped away, falling backwards as the rush of adrenaline she just had left her body. Luckily, Rob appeared behind her, catching her before she could hit the ground. Lilian leaned against his body, not caring that she was getting wet now since he had just gotten out of the pool.

"Jesus, Lil, are you okay?" he whispered, barely noticing the others as he wrapped his arms around Lilian's waist, pulling her close to him. Lilian nodded quietly, watching as Shawn comforted Lita and Trish buried her face in Bubba's chest.

After a few moments of silence, save for Torrie on the phone with 911, Trish and Lita walked up to Lilian, who was still being supported by Rob. "I owe you big time, Lil," Trish whispered, hugging her friend.

"Yeah, Lil, that was fucking crazy," Lita murmured, hugging Lilian too. "But thanks."

"Can we wait inside?" Lilian finally spoke up. "I don't want to be a fucking sideshow," she added, nodding toward the fans who had gathered around, gawking and taking pictures of the group. Granted, the girls were probably more interested in Shawn, Billy, and Rob in their swimsuits then the fact Lilian, Trish, and Lita were nearly rundown by a maniac.

"Yeah, Lil, let's go," Rob said quietly, noticing her agitation at being the center of attention. He wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her to the hotel, not missing the fact that she was limping and there was blood trickling down her knee and elbow. Trish and Lita followed, each guided by her respective boyfriend. They seemed to be a little better off, though Lita's shoulder was bleeding and Trish had a scrape on her knee and part of her skirt was torn.

Rob led the group into the hotel, surprised to see Stephanie and Chris at the front desk. "What the heck happened?" Stephanie asked as Rob led Lilian to a chair to sit down.

"We were almost run over," Lilian said through gritted teeth, wincing as her hip hit the side of the chair. She was almost afraid to look at her hip, especially since there was blood on her shorts.

Stephanie paled, glancing at Chris quickly before kneeling in front of Lilian. "Are you guys okay?" she asked, glancing between the three ladies.

"Yeah, thanks to Lilian," Trish murmured, collapsing in a chair as well.

"We're fine," Lita added, choosing to stand despite the fact her knees were still shaking somewhat.

Stephanie nodded, somewhat satisfied despite the fact Lilian remained quiet. However, the owner of WWE had a bad feeling that things were about to turn ugly.

End Part 9


	10. Chapter 10

"No."

"Ma'am, I really think it would be smart if you were to go to the hospital to get checked out."

"No! I said I'm not going, so drop it!" Lilian snapped at the EMT. She yanked her arm out of his grasp, ignoring the pain in her elbow at the action. The young paramedic had already bandaged her wounds, but seemed adamant about getting her to go to the hospital. And, seeing as how she had spent a lot of time in the hospital thanks to John that was the last place she wanted to go.

"Hey, leave her alone!" Rob said angrily, placing a comforting a hand on Lilian's shoulder. "She's been through enough today." Lilian glanced at Rob, grateful that he seemed to understand why she did not want to go to the hospital.

"Fine," the EMT said, shaking his head at the stubborn couple. He walked over to Trish, who seemed to be favoring her knee.

Lilian shook her head, taking a deep breath as she glanced at the bandage on her elbow. This was crazy…

"Ms. Garcia? Can we talk to you now?" a police officer asked. Lilian nodded, pushing herself off the chair as she limped over to the officer, the large bandages on her knee visible. Rob could also see part of the bandage on her hip, though her shirt and shorts mostly covered that. She glanced at Rob, who gave her an encouraging smile before he turned to watch the EMT tend to Trish.

"Ms. Garcia, can you tell me what happened?" the officer, whose name badge identified him as Officer Bain, asked.

Lilian sighed, frowning as she thought. "It all happened so fast. We were walking across the parking lot. Lita and Trish were joking around, pretending to fight when I heard a car revving. I told Li and Trish to move, and knocked them out of the way. The car turned, and we all moved again so the driver hit a fence. I thought the person was going to go after us again, but they took off."

"Did you see the driver?"

"No," Lilian said with a shake of her head. "The windows were tinted and I wasn't exactly trying to look."

"Make or model or license number of the car?"

"No," Lilian answered with a shake of her head. "Maybe a white sedan. I was more worried about my friends to be paying attention to the car."

"Okay," Officer Bain said. "We'll be keeping in touch with you. Please, don't hesitate to call me if you remember anything, no matter how insignificant it may seem."

"Where do we go from here, Officer?" Lilian asked, crossing her arms. "I mean, what are the chances of you catching this person?"

Officer Bain sighed, glancing at his notes. "It's not good. Unfortunately, in speaking with the hotel staff, we found out that the camera pointed to the hotel lot was knocked out of place. There is no video of the car trying to run you ladies down. That, combined with the fact that you, Ms. Dumas, and Ms. Stratus were unable to give any information about the car or driver, makes it very slim that we will catch the driver."

Lilian frowned, reaching up to scratch her forehead. "Okay, thank you," she replied softly.

"One last question," Officer Bain said. "Do you have any enemies? Anyone who may possibly want you hurt?"

Lilian placed a hand on her forehead, closing her eyes. "Well, my husband and I just split a week ago. He left a threatening message on my answering machine, but the message deleted itself so there was no proof."

"It's a lead, though," Officer Bain said with an encouraging nod. "What is his name? We'll send an officer to talk to him."

"His name is John. John Garrett. He lives in Tampa, Florida, though. I left him last week and he's not too happy about it."

"Okay, thank you," Officer Bain said, smiling sympathetically at Lilian before he turned to walk away. Lilian watched as the officer met up with his partner and walked out of the room. With another sigh, Lilian turned, walking back to her friends. Rob guided her to a chair, helping her to sit. She closed her eyes, tilting her head upwards, trying to force the headache that was starting away.

"Well, well, well… it looks like we have the goody two shoes brigade gathered in the lobby." Lilian cringed as her eyes shot open, meeting the smirking gaze that Sable was giving them as she entered the hotel with several bags in her hands.

"Shut up, Sable," Stephanie was the acknowledge the blonde vixen, standing to face the tall blonde.

"What's going on here?" Sable asked with a sneer, looking between Lita, Trish, and Lilian, noticing that the three women all seemed worse for wear.

"Not that it's any of your fucking business, Sable, but Lilian, Trish, and Lita were nearly rundown by some maniac," Torrie snapped, standing so she could be next to Stephanie, crossing her arms as she glared at Sable.

"Oh, the poor little darlings," Sable cooed, though her voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Are they okay?"

"Not that it's any of your fucking business, but yeah," Bubba said. "It's not like you care, so why don't you just leave?"

Sable scoffed at Bubba, laughing as she said, "It's a public hotel, fat boy, so you can't tell me to leave." However, she stepped back, surprised when Trish leapt out of her chair, making a mad dash for Sable when she called insulted Bubba. However, her injured knee and Bubba and Stephanie each grabbing an arm halted the progress of the small blonde.

"Fuck you, bitch!" Trish yelled, struggling furiously against Stephanie and Bubba for a moment before Shawn too joined in to pull Trish back.

"No," Sable replied with a laugh. "Fuck you." With that, she sauntered past the group to the elevators, unaware that ten people were glaring at her as she stepped into the elevator, pushing the buttons to go up to her floor.

"Trish… calm down, okay?" Bubba whispered as the doors shut. Stephanie and Shawn both let go of the small blonde, knowing that it was safe now that Sable was out of view. "It's done."

"But baby… she insulted you!"

Bubba laughed, smiling down at his girlfriend. "I've been called worse before. By you, nonetheless."

"Oh, yeah?" Chris asked when Trish blushed. "What has she called you?"

"Knowing those two, I'm not sure I want to know!" Billy said with a shake of his head, grinning when everyone started laughing, even Trish and Bubba both blushed even harder.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Torrie said, nudging her husband in the ribs, though she was laughing too.

"Man, I'm hungry," Trish proclaimed, glancing between her friends.

"Again?" Lita asked. "We just ate an hour ago!"

"I know, but I'm hungry," Trish whined.

"There's part of a salad on the concrete out there," Lita pointed out. "Though I'm not sure how much you want to eat that."

"No, I think I'm just gonna hit the hotel bar," Trish said. "You all coming?"

Everyone nodded except for Lilian and Rob. "I think I'm just going to go back to my room," Lilian said softly, wincing at the dull throb that had settled in her hip.

"Yeah, me too," Rob claimed, wrapping an arm gently around Lilian's waist, relieved when she let his arm stay there. "We'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Yeah," Stephanie agreed. "Just come to the arena a little early tonight. I want them to rewrite the script so there isn't too much action for you three ladies. I'm sure you'll all be sore in a few hours."

"Okay," Lilian replied gratefully, smiling at her friends as she allowed Rob to lead her to the elevator. She closed her eyes as the doors shut, swaying slightly against Rob.

"Whoa," he muttered, holding her a little tighter. "You okay?"

"Yeah… just a little tired."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," Lilian muttered, allowing Rob to support her as the elevator doors opened. He led them to the room, easily opening the door and helping Lilian into the room. Rob guided Lilian to the bed, carefully helping her to lay down before sitting on the edge of the bed.

"You comfortable?" he asked sympathetically, brushing a strand of hair away from her face.

"Yeah," Lilian replied tiredly. "You should go get something to eat."

"Nah… that's what room service is for." Lilian laughed slightly at this, closing her eyes. Rob watched her for a few moments, making sure she was asleep before standing up. Hesitating, he bent down, kissing Lilian's forehead gently before straightening back up.

He glanced at the room service menu, quickly ordering some food as he watched Lilian sleep. He wondered how Lilian's husband could harm someone so little and fragile. Lilian hadn't weighed more than 115 pounds before she left the WWE in 2003 and he would be very surprised if she weighed more than 100 pounds now. He gritted his teeth, anger filling his body as he thought of her husband.

There was no doubt in Rob's eyes that John Garrett was behind the wheel of that car today. And when he found John, there would be hell to pay.

Big time.

End Part 10


	11. Chapter 11

I'm really getting into writing this story... it has more twists and turns then Space Mountain!

* * *

"Come on, Rob! Fight him!" Lilian yelled, pounding on the mat with her fist as she watched Shelton Benjamin lock in yet another sleeper hold on Rob. Even though she knew the end result of the match, she still felt butterflies as she watched Rob sell the move. He seemed to be fading away with every moment, really convincing her that he was about to pass out, even though she knew he was just fine. 

She unconsciously touched her elbow, wincing at the throb that had settled there since that afternoon. She was wearing pants and a long, sleeveless shirt, so the gauze encasing her injuries were mostly covered, except for the one on her elbow. Lilian almost laughed to herself, wondering how many different speculations there were about how the injury had occurred. She hadn't had the chance to check the Internet before the show to see if any of the 'news' sites had picked up on what had happened, but she had meetings and practice to do before the show…

Stephanie had originally planned for Rob, with Lilian in his corner, to face Shelton, along with Kurt and Charlie, tonight, but Lilian's role had been more active. She was supposed to take an Angle Slam after Rob defeated Shelton… However, seeing as how someone had tried to run down Lilian, Trish, and Lita, Stephanie had taken it into her hands to make sure that all three ladies had limited roles tonight so they were not more seriously injured. Granted, Lilian seemed to be the one who had taken the most punishment when they were attacked, but the little blonde had insisted on having some involvement in the match tonight. She hadn't wanted to cause too much trouble within her first week back, which is the main reason why she had insisted she somehow get involved in the match.

"Yes! Come on, Rob!" Lilian shouted, watching excitedly as Rob drove an elbow into Shelton's ribs once, then again a few seconds later. He broke free, nailing Shelton with a heel kick. The young athlete fell in perfect position for Rob to hit one of his signature moves, Rolling Thunder.

"Come on, baby!" she murmured under her breath, watching from her spot by the ring apron as Rob gracefully leapt to the top rope, nailing the Five Star Frog Splash on Shelton. "One, two, three!" she said along with the referee, hopping onto the ring apron as the bell was rung. She went straight to Rob, giving him a big hug before she raised his hand along with the referee of the match.

Rob winked at Lilian, exhaustion on his face. However, that look quickly turned to surprise when Kurt nailed him from behind, stomping him down along with Charlie. Lilian stepped back, looking surprised at the change of events. "Stop, please!" she yelled as Shelton threw the referee unceremoniously out of the ring. She stepped back, feeling somewhat helpless as Kurt locked the Ankle Lock on Rob with Shelton and Charlie teasing Rob. Even though she knew this was what was going to happen, Lilian couldn't help but feel some empathy for Rob, especially since he had just had a hell of a match.

Lilian swallowed nervously when Kurt released the hold and turned his attention to Lilian, along with Charlie. She backed up, knowing that this was the big part of the segment for her and not wanting to screw up. Lilian kept her gaze on the two men advancing on her, backing up until she bumped into someone's chest. Turning, she screamed, hoping she sounded truly terrified, when Shelton grabbed her shirt to keep him from running out of the ring. Kurt grabbed her hair, pulling her to him.

Lilian's hand automatically came up, slapping the taste out of Kurt's mouth. He let go of her, stumbling back as Charlie and Shelton each grabbed an arm. She fought viciously, kicking and yelling as Kurt turned to her, his eyes flashing dangerously. Lilian's heart dropped, her eyes widening slightly at the look of anger on his face.

That was the exact same look John got when he was about to beat the shit out of her.

Lilian swallowed, forcing herself to focus on Kurt, who was now charging at her. She had to remember that Kurt was not John, and he was not going to intentionally hurt her. At the last possible second, she dropped down, causing Kurt to crash into Charlie and Shelton. Charlie dropped to the ground as Shelton went tumbling out of the ring.

"You little bitch!" Kurt exclaimed, holding his jaw as he rounded on Lilian, ready to attack her again. Before he could do anything, however, Rob jumped him, pummeling him with lefts and rights. Lilian slid out of the ring, taking a deep breath as she watched Rob rid of Kurt and Charlie easily. Her knee and elbow were hurting a little, especially since Shelton had accidentally grabbed her elbow. Glancing down, she saw that there was a little bit of blood on the bandage. Sighing, she got back in the ring, placing a hand on Rob's back as he gestured for Team Angle to come back in the ring and come get some more. The three men backed up the ramp, obviously not wanting anything to do with Rob Van Dam for the moment.

Rob turned to her, shaking his head as Kurt waved his hands and turned, walking out of the arena and to the back, his two Team Angle members following behind him. Lilian took Rob's wrist, raising his arm in victory once again to the cheers of the crowd.

"Are you okay?" Rob asked casually, hugging her lightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lilian replied. "You're the one who got his ass kicked for the entire match."

"Ugh. Please don't remind me," Rob said, wincing as he rubbed the back of his neck. Even though the match had been planned out, his neck was a little stiff where Shelton's elbow had accidentally crashed into him at some point in the match.

"Maybe I'll give you a massage later," Lilian murmured, nudging him as she watched Rob exit the ring, relieved when he sat on the ropes, opening them so she could get out of the ring easier. She took his hand as they walked up the ramp together, Rob slapping the hands of little kids who had eagerly stuck their hands out to touch hands with the WWE superstar. When they reached the top of the ramp, they turned together, waving to the fans as they raised their arms once again.

Lilian's eyes scanned the crowd, taking in some of the people in the crowd as she waved. However, her heart nearly dropped when she made eye contact with someone in the crowd, her face turning white and a chill going over her body as she realized who she was looking at.

John was there, amongst the massive crowd, glaring at his wife with cold eyes.

Lilian allowed Rob to lead her through the curtain, noticeably pale. "Lilian, what's wrong?" Stephanie asked, breaking away from Kurt, Charlie, and Shelton when she saw the look on Lilian's face, guiding the little blonde to a chair. "Are you okay?" Lilian sat, her eyes wide as she looked at Stephanie, almost as if she didn't recognize the brunette standing in front of her. "Lil, please, talk to me. You're scaring me."

"He… he's out there…" Lilian stammered, her hands shaking slightly.

"Who?" Rob asked, though he was pretty sure he knew who Lilian was talking about. He took her hand, squeezing it slightly in encouragement.

Lilian swallowed, closing her eyes as she whispered, "John."

"Where is he?" Stephanie asked sharply, feeling bad when Lilian jumped slightly.

"He was… he was in the crowd. To the left of the ramp if you are facing the ring," Lilian said shakily.

"What does he look like?" Stephanie asked, gesturing for security to join them.

"Tall, about 6 foot 2, blonde hair cut in a crew cut. Blue eyes, a scar above his right eyebrow, about 245 pounds. He has a tattoo with my name in a sword with blood dripping down on his left bicep," Lilian said softly.

"What was he wearing?" a security guard asked.

"I don't know," Lilian said miserably, crossing her arms tightly as tears threatened to fall.

"Okay," Stephanie said to Lilian, patting her knee reassuringly. She turned to the security guards, saying, "Look for that man. His name is John Garrett. If you find him, I want him in my office." They nodded and walked off, Stephanie turning back to Rob and Lilian. "I want you to get Lilian out of here. Take her to the hotel and call me when you get there and in your room. I'll call the hotel to let them know to put extra security up," she said to Rob. He nodded, helping Lilian to stand. The little blonde did so, numbly, not saying a word; rather, she was thinking that John was right.

He would always be in her head.

* * *

The plot thickens… end part 11… 

Just wait till the doozy known as Chapter 12...


	12. Chapter 12

Here's part 12...

* * *

Rob glanced at Lilian, worried at the look on her face. She seemed to be quite dazed, staring straight ahead, deep in thought. Rob took one hand off the wheel to their SUV, tentatively placing a hand on her thigh.

"Hey," he whispered, relieved when she didn't jump. "You okay?"

"I don't know, Rob," she whispered, still staring. "I just… I don't understand why he is here… why he's trying to make my life hell. Why can't he leave me alone?"

Rob sighed, glancing briefly at her and taking her hand in his. "I don't know, Lil. I wish I had answers for you, but I don't. But believe me when I say I will do everything in my power to never let him hurt you again."

Lilian answered her mouth to reply, jumping slightly when Rob's phone rang loudly. Rob let go of her hand, fumbling for his phone, flipping it open. "Yeah?" he asked, watching as Lilian folded her hands, ringing them together as she once again stared out the window.

"Rob. It's Steph. Look, security just combed the arena, and no one matching John's description has been found. So either he took off when Lilian saw him… or Lilian's seeing things. And I seriously doubt it's the latter."

Rob sighed, responding, "Shit. Okay, we'll call when we get in the room. Thanks, Steph."

"You're welcome, Rob. Sorry I don't have better news."

"Not your fault, Steph."

"I know… but I wish I had better news. Be careful, okay?"

"I will. Talk to you in a few."

Rob sighed again, hanging up the phone. He glanced at Lilian, surprised to see the little blonde looking at him with intense green eyes. "He's not there anymore, is he?" Lilian asked, though the way she asked the question indicated she already knew the answer.

Still, Rob shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. "No. I'm sorry, Lil."

Lilian sighed, folding her arms, closing her eyes as she tilted her head up. "I can't believe this… I thought I was getting away from him, but it seems like he'll always be here to torture me."

Again, Rob reached over, taking the little blonde's hand in his. "Lil, it's gonna be okay. As soon as we can, we're going to press charges and get a restraining order," he told her.

Lilian chuckled softly, shaking her head. "Rob… I don't want to get you involved in this… not you, not Steph, not Lita or Trish, not anyone. This is my problem, not yours or theirs."

"Hey… I'm not going to let you fight this alone… and it's a safe bet that no one will," Rob told her, squeezing her hand.

Lilian didn't answer; rather, her attention was focused on the rearview mirror. Rob followed her gaze, cursing lowly when he noticed a car very close to his bumper. "Maniac," he muttered, changing lanes to allow the person to pass easily.

"What the fuck?" he asked, letting go of Lilian's hand to grip the steering wheel with both hands when the car changed lanes with him, staying close to the bumper of the black SUV Rob was driving.

"Lil, call 911," he instructed calmly, taking his hand off the wheel briefly to hand her his phone. Rob sped up, trying to put distance between he and the car that was following them as Lilian flipped open the phone, dialing 911. Lilian glanced back, not surprised to see the car gaining speed, once again following closely when Rob switched lanes.

"911, what's your emergency?"

"My name is Lilian Garcia. I'm traveling down… I-76 with a friend and there's someone following us," Lilian said, surprised her voice was steady. "There's a person following us really closely and keeps changing lanes when we do."

"Okay, Lilian, where on I-76 you are?"

"I… I don't know," Lilian said, looking around for some sort of landmark but only seeing trees. "I'm not from around here. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Lilian… first of all, are you driving?"

"No, my friend Rob is."

"Okay… can you see the car following you and Rob?"

Lilian turned around carefully, her blood running cold when she saw the car. A white sedan with black tinted windows.

With scratches on the hood.

"It's a… uh, it's a white sedan. Honda… Accord, I think. Black tinted windows, scratches on the hood," she said numbly, glancing at Rob. His face was grim, the look on his face tense as he glanced between the car closely following them and the cars in front of them.

"Is there a plate on the front? Can you see the license plate?"

"No… no front plate."

"Can you see the driver or anyone in the car?"

"No… the windows are tinted."

Lilian heard the operator sigh, then ask, "How fast are you guys moving?"

She glanced at the odometer, wincing when she saw how fast Rob was going to try to get away from the car. "95 M.P.H."

"Damn," the operator murmured. "Is the car giving you any distance?"

Lilian glanced back, seeing that the car was still on their bumper. "No," she said. "They are right on our bumper."

"Shit… Lilian, I need you to tell Rob that if he can, he needs to let up off the gas. There are several units on or making their way to I-76, so the pressure should hopefully be off you in a few minutes. Just hang in there, okay?"

"Okay," Lilian murmured, turning her attention to Rob. "Rob, there's units getting ready to jump in. If you can, let up on the gas slightly."

"I'm trying, Lil," he said gently, glancing in the mirror again. She jumped slightly, however, when Rob yelled, "Fuck!" A second later, Lilian lurched forward, the impact from the car slamming into the back of their SUV sending them spinning.

Rob slammed on the brakes, trying to gain control of the heavy SUV as it fishtailed dangerously. Lilian watched numbly as the white car hit them again, this time on the passenger's side, sending them flying off the road.

"Lilian? What's going on?" she heard the operator ask, somewhat panicked at the sound of metal crunching and Lilian's lack of response.

She didn't respond to the 911 operator. Instead, she screamed. Screamed as the SUV went careening through the grass, going into a roll. The massive vehicle flipped once, windows breaking at the impact, sending glass everywhere. The vehicle flipped again, the airbags going off with a bang. Then, finally, the SUV stopped, the engine dying when the vehicle stopped moving.

Lilian gasped, staring straight ahead for a few moments. She wasn't aware of anything… not the glass raining down her back… not the smear of blood on her window or the pounding in her head… not the burning on her face and arms due to the airbags deploying. She wasn't aware of anything.

Finally, she glanced at Rob, relieved to see him looking back at her. "You okay?" he asked quietly, trying to get his seatbelt off, wincing at the pain in his arm as he did so, tugging at the strap in frustration when it seemed to have jammed in the accident.

"I… I think so," Lilian replied, undoing her seatbelt with some difficulty due to her shaking hands. She felt dizzy, though she felt relieved when she heard police sirens breaking the silence of the night. Her door opened, and for a brief moment she thought she was going to look into John's eyes.

However, she met the concerned gaze of a young blonde woman, a bystander who had obviously stopped to help them out.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" the young woman asked, placing a hand on Lilian's shoulder.

"I… I think so," Lilian replied. "Please, check on him."

"It's okay, ma'am. My boyfriend is with him now." Sure enough, Lilian could hear a man talking to Rob.

"I'm fine, dude," she heard Rob reply, though his voice was laced with pain. "Did you see where the car went? Did you catch the plates?"

"No, we were behind him, and the plate was covered in mud. We couldn't get the number, I'm sorry. He took off after you guys were sent off the road," the man said. He cursed, then said, "I'm going to need to cut your seatbelt. It's jammed pretty bad."

"Okay," Rob said, glancing back at Lilian. "You still with me, Blondie?"

"Yeah," Lilian replied, touching her forehead. However, the pain in her head finally hit her full force, the events of the day taking their toll.

"Lil? Lil!" was the last thing she heard before everything went black.

* * *

End Part 12… told you it was a doozy! 


	13. Chapter 13

See what happens when you have a day off and the muses won't let you be? You get two chapters in one day! Enjoy!

* * *

The first thing she was aware of was Torrie's voice. Then, she felt the pressure on her hand, another hand obviously holding hers.

"Torrie, why don't you go and get some rest? I'll stay with Lilian for awhile," she heard Billy tell his wife.

"I'm fine, sweetie," she heard Torrie reply tiredly. "I don't want her to wake up and me not be here."

"I'm awake," Lilian struggled to say, forcing her eyes open to look at Torrie and Billy. She looked to see Torrie was the one holding her hand, giving it a small squeeze to show her that she was okay.

"Hey, Lil," Torrie said, smiling at her friend. "How do you feel?"

"I have a headache," Lilian admitted, raising her free hand to touch her forehead, feeling white gauze on her forehead. "Where am I?"

"You're in Atlanta, Georgia, Lil," Torrie replied, brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes.

"What happened?"

"You and Rob were in an accident, Lil. You have a minor concussion and a pretty bad cut on your head. The doctor had to give you three stitches to close the wound," Billy explained gently, speaking for his wife when she didn't reply this time. He took a seat next to Torrie, looking expectantly at Lilian. The little blonde thought, frowning as she slowly nodded, remembering. "You passed out after the accident," Billy explained.

"How long have I been out?"

"About ten hours," Torrie replied, smiling at her friend. "Do you remember anything?"

"Yeah," Lilian replied, wincing. "I remember a car following us and forcing us off the road… Rob…" Her heart nearly stopped as she thought of Rob. "Rob. Where's Rob!" she asked, panicked.

"Relax, babe. I'm here," Rob said tiredly, walking through the hospital door and collapsing into a chair opposite of Torrie and Billy, exhausted. "Li and Shawn send their love. They wanted to come here today, but they both had publicity things to do earlier. I would have been here sooner, but Steph and Trish made me get checked out."

"It's a good thing, too," Trish said, following Rob into the room, carrying a cup of coffee for Torrie, which the tall blonde accepted gratefully.

"Shut up, Trish," Rob said, giving the blonde a glare.

"What's wrong, Rob? What did you have to get checked out for?" Lilian asked, looking at the man she was managing with an intense gaze at Trish's words.

"It's no big deal, doll," Rob replied. "I just have a sore elbow. I needed to get stitches because my elbow got caught on the window when we were rolling through the grass." Seeing the look of horror on Lilian's face, he shook his head. "Chill, Lil. It's no big deal. Only eight stitches were needed. Just enough to make me not move my elbow for a few days."

Lilian blew out her breath, shaking her head slowly. "I'm so sorry, Rob," she murmured. "It's all my fault."

"No. It's not your fault, Lil," Rob said, taking Lilian's other hand, being careful to avoid the IV in her tiny hand, not wanting to hurt her.

"Yes, it is. This accident, what happened to Trish and Lita, it's my fault. I should have never come back. I've put you all in danger and-"

"No." This time, Trish spoke. "Lil, it's not your fault. The only person who is at fault is John. He's not stable, and he's using us to hurt you."

"And it's working," Lilian said through tear-filled eyes. "I'm so sorry, guys," Lilian sobbed.

"Lil, please, it's not your fault," Rob said, tears pooling in his own eyes, bringing her hand up to his lips, kissing it tenderly, trying to make her realize that no one blamed her for this. "Please, trust me when I say that. I'm fine, and I'm more worried about your health and wellbeing."

Lilian sighed, shaking her head. She opened her mouth, getting ready to respond when Stephanie breezed into the room, a tense and worried look on her face. "Hey," she said to Rob, glancing at Lilian, doing a double take when she realized the little blonde was finally awake. "Lil! You're awake! How are you?" she asked, managing a grin for her employee laying in the hospital bed.

"I'm fine, Steph," Lilian replied, brushing away at the tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Good… look, Lil, I have some big news. I don't really know how to say it delicately, but-"

"Ah, the patient is awake," a doctor said, breezing into the room. "Can you excuse us for a moment?" he asked, looking pointedly at the five bystanders in the room. "Mrs. Garcia and I have to talk."

"No, let them stay," Lilian said wearily. "Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of them."

"Okay, Mrs. Garcia," he agreed. "You have a minor concussion, which should heal in no time so long as you take it easy."

"When can I be released?" Lilian asked anxiously, suddenly feeling smothered and wanting to get out of Atlanta, Georgia.

"We want to monitor you for a few more hours. Then, you can leave."

"Good," Lilian said with a sigh, leaning her head back. The sooner she got out of this city, the sooner she could hopefully get away from this nightmare.

"You'll need to check up with your regular doctor to make sure everything is okay and to get the stitches out. Also, you need to make sure to relax and not overexert yourself. A concussion is nothing to mess around with. Okay?"

"Okay," Lilian replied, thinking back to the last time she had a concussion, which, of course, had been courtesy of her soon to be ex-husband.

"I'll let you be for now," the doctor said. "I'll check you in an hour to see if anything's changed. If not, then you're more than likely in the clear. I still want to observe you again, but I'm sure everything will be fine. It seems to be a minor concussion, but you can never be too careful when it comes to the head."

"Thank you," Lilian replied, turning her attention back to Stephanie when the older gentleman left the room. "Now what were you going to say?"

Stephanie took a deep breath before speaking. "Look, I don't know of this is good or bad news, but police found a white Honda Accord with tinted windows outside of Tampa about two hours ago. Apparently, there was a bad accident where the Accord ran into the back of a tractor trailer."

Lilian took a deep breath, wondering if what Stephanie was saying was what she thought the owner of WWE was trying to get to. "Is it… was it him?" she finally asked, pulling her hand out of Torrie's grasp, fidgeting with the tube on her hand nervously.

Stephanie sighed, nodding. "They think so, Lil. They need someone to ID the body first, though. The morgue is trying to contact his parents-"

"No." All heads turned, looking at Lilian. "No… I'll do it."

Trish was the first to speak up, hesitating as she said, "Lil…"

"No… I need to do this. I need to know."

"Lil, you have a concussion. You can't be driving! Besides, what did the doctor say about you taking care of yourself and not overexerting yourself?" Torrie questioned, trying to talk some sense into her stubborn friend.

"I'll find a way to get there. But you guys aren't stopping me. If I have to hitchhike my way to Tampa, I'll do it. I need to know… I need to see him, to make sure it really is John… to make sure this nightmare is over."

"Steph, it's fine," Rob spoke up when Stephanie again opened her mouth to protest. "I'll take her." Rob saw that Lilian was again getting ready to protest, and he held his hand up to silence her. "No buts, Lilian. You can't drive and I want to be there for you." Rob ignored the amused look that Torrie and Trish exchanged at the last sentence, simply quietly asking Lilian, "Please let me go with you, okay?"

The little blonde nodded, keeping her gaze steady as she stared at Rob. She wasn't sure why Rob wanted to help her, especially after she had caused him to get hurt. Rob kept eye contact with Lilian, only breaking his gaze when Stephanie sighed.

"Fine," the tall brunette finally answered. "But please, Rob, Lilian, be careful. Even if it is John in that morgue, I still have an uneasy feeling about this whole thing. Something's not right… and I don't want to see you hurt over it."

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End Part Unlucky 13… 


	14. Chapter 14

Well, guys, this may be the last new part for a few days. I have a whirlwind weekend planned and I doubt I'll get a chance to sit down and pound out the next chapter anytime soon…This whole week should be fun, including working 8 hours then seeing Larry the Cable Guy today, working a 12 hour shift Saturday, going to the Delaware State Fair all day Sunday, and my Anniversary is Monday (zoo & dinner that day)… Tuesday I have a ten hour shift, so the soonest I'll really get a chance to type is Wednesday after a short 8 hour day at work… but the caffeine buzz will most likely be gone and I may be knocked out by 5:15 Wednesday! Please don't kill me, especially when you get to the last line, LoL.

* * *

Lilian swallowed, brushing her bangs back from her forehead with the back of her hand. A thin sheen of sweat had formed on her forehead, her hands clammy as she waited for the medical examiner to lift the curtain separating her from her nightmare. She wiped her hands on her shorts, needing to do something with them so she wouldn't wring them, a nervous habit of hers, trying to calm her rapidly beating heart. 

Without a word, Rob reached down, taking one of Lilian's shaking hands in his. She glanced at him, feeling somewhat calmer as he smiled encouragingly at her, letting her know without words that he was with her and that everything was going to be okay.

"Mrs. Garcia, are you ready?" she heard the medical examiner, a nice lady who had introduced herself as Melinda Warner, ask over an intercom.

"Yes," Lilian answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

"When I lift this sheet, I need you to tell me whether you recognize the person on the table. If you do, then please give the name of that person," Melinda instructed. "If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Lilian replied. A few seconds later, the curtain was lifted, and Lilian found herself staring at her husband. He looked pale, washed out beneath the bright lights in the room. A towel or blanket of some sort covered his waist, but his chest was bare, bruises and cuts marring his broad chest, obviously from the accident. His face was also bruised, a large gash on his temple that had obviously been carefully cleaned before Lilian had been asked to identify him. His eyes were closed, and he looked almost peaceful… a far cry from the man who had tormented her so many times the past few days and while they were married.

"Can I…" Lilian swallowed again, trying to calm herself down. "Can I see his left bicep?" she asked quietly. Even though she was positive it was him, she still needed to make sure. She needed to see the one thing that would seal the fact that it was him. Rob squeezed her hand, giving her another surge of courage.

"Yes, that is not a problem," Melinda replied, turning the table so John's left side was facing Lilian.

The little blonde sighed, closing her eyes and leaning her head against Rob's shoulder, turning so he could hug her. The tattoo he had gotten three years ago, seemingly binding her to him forever, was definitely there. There was no doubt in her mind that the person laying in the morgue was her husband.

"Lilian, do you recognize this man?" Melinda asked.

"Yes," she replied, her voice muffled by Rob's shirt.

"And who is he?"

"His name is John Garrett."

And with that statement, Lilian burst into tears. Her nightmare was finally over.

* * *

Lilian sighed, taking a seat in the car after Rob opened the door for her. The night had arrived quickly, especially after the task of identifying John's body and filling out all the necessary paperwork. Now, all she wanted to do now was take a long, hot shower, slip into her favorite pajamas, and go to sleep. She wiped at her dry eyes, cursing her allergies and the dry night, wishing desperately that she had some eye drops. They were, however, back at the hotel.

Rob circled the car, taking a seat behind the wheel, looking tiredly at Lilian as he played with the keys in his hand, not yet starting the engine of the car. "Do you want to go to the hotel?" Rob asked quietly.

Lilian nodded, sighing. "Look, Rob, I know this is a lot to ask, but my house is about five minutes from here. Do you mind stopping there real fast so I can get some clothes and a few other things?"

"Of course not, Lilian," Rob said.

"It's just with our upcoming schedule, I don't know when I'll be back to start to clear things out, and there's a few things I wanted to grab…"

"Really, Lil, it's not a problem. You don't need to explain yourself," Rob reassured her. "Just guide the way."

Within a few minutes, Rob pulled into the driveway of a beautiful white house. The lawn was well kept, and there were several flowers, lilies and pink roses to be exact, blooming along the border of the house. Rob got out of the car, smiling over the car roof at Lilian. "Lilies?" he questioned, nodding in the direction of the house.

Lilian blushed, smiling shyly at Rob. "Yeah," she said. "They're my favorite flower."

"Mine too," Rob replied.

"Really?"

"Nah… but it's a good nickname for someone by the name of Lilian."

Lilian blushed even harder, smiling when Rob grinned at her. Shaking her head, she walked to the door, choosing a key from her key ring to open the door. She pushed the door open, sighing before she entered the hose slowly. "It's hard to believe I'm not afraid to walk through this door," Lilian said softly, looking around the room. Rob stood behind her, staying silent, allowing her to take time to reflect and think out loud. Lilian walked into the house, shaking her head. "Look, I wasn't even gone a week and John destroyed the place," she said, kicking a plastic cup that was on the floor with her toe. Then she realized Rob was behind her, his hands in his pockets, looking somewhat uncomfortable and hesitant as she talked to herself. "Damn it. Sorry, Rob. Let me go grab a few things and I'll be right back."

Rob nodded, watching as Lilian ran up the stairs two at a time, seemingly ready to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. He stood there, keeping his hands in his pocket as he looked at the photos on the wall. Lilian and John, dancing on their wedding day, the couple looking so happy as several onlookers watched. Lilian, throwing the flower bouquet over her shoulder as a bunch of eager girls, including Trish and Lita, waited. John, in Army camouflage, kneeling in front of a tank, a serious look on his face, holding some sort of gun. Rob gritted his teeth, shaking his head. As if it wasn't bad enough to beat the shit out of your wife, the man who had done so had been a member of the United States Armed Forces… a man who was expected to protect his country. How could he protect the United States when he couldn't even protect or take proper care of his wife? He sighed, feeling a twinge of guilt when he thought that it was probably better that John Garrett was dead.

"Rob, you ready?" he heard Lilian ask. He turned, nodding his agreement. However, a streak of white fur ran out, tripping Lilian. The duffel bag she had thrown her stuff into bumped against her hip as she fell forward, right into Rob's waiting arms.

"Oof," she said, surprised when Rob caught her. He wrapped his arms around her waist, easily steadying her. Instead of moving his hands, however, he simply stared into her green eyes. Lilian stared back, swallowing as she said, "Sorry. I almost forgot about the fucking cat. I'll have to ask the neighbor's kid to take care of it for a few days until I can get back here and figure out what to do with her."

"It's okay, Lil," Rob replied. He smiled at her, feeling her hesitating to put her arms around his waist before she finally did so. Sighing, he closed his eyes for a brief moment before reopening them, his brown eyes once again meeting her green eyes. "Look, Lil, I know this isn't the best time or place, but there's something I need to tell you… something that's been on my mind for a long time."

"What?" Lilian asked softly, glad Rob was holding her up. Her knees were weak from being in his arms, and she was afraid that if he let go of her waist, she'd fall on the ground.

"Lil… I really like you. A lot. I've always liked you, and was heartbroken when you got married and left. Granted, your leaving really wasn't your option, but… when you came back last week, I was so overjoyed. I was so surprised to see you with Stephanie… it was like a dream come true. I made a promise to myself that I wasn't going to let you slip away again. I don't want you to ever be hurt again… and I'll make sure that you're treated the way you should be treated… like a princess."

Rob paused, taking a deep breath. "Oh, Rob," Lilian said, sniffling slightly as she hugged him hard. "I like you too," she admitted. "There's always been a special place in my heart for you. It was hard to leave WWE back in 2003 without saying goodbye to my closest friends, especially you."

Rob grinned, relieved, as he hugged her back. They separated, smiling at each other. Lilian kept her hands on his forearms as Rob hesitantly brought a hand up, placing his palm on the nape of her neck. He kept his other hand at the small of her back, tracing circles with his thumb. Slowly, he guided her towards him, preparing to share a first kiss. Lilian licked her lips slightly, closing her eyes as she eagerly waited to meet his lips.

His lips were almost touching hers when a familiar cold female voice interrupted them. "Well isn't this sweet?" the woman asked, causing Rob and Lilian to hastily break apart, though Rob brought his hand down to lightly grasp Lilian's arm.

Lilian's eyes widened, her gaze darting between the woman's face and the silver gun in her hand which was pointed at both her and Rob. "I can't believe this," she murmured, shaking her head, almost as if she was trying to wake up from a bad dream.

"Oh, you better believe it," the woman said with a mirthless chuckle. "Now let go of each other and get over there by the kitchen table."

Lilian and Rob did as she said, moving slowly as they stared at the hateful woman before them, who was following their every move with that gun, a wild look in her eyes.

Lilian and Rob glanced at each other, knowing that they were in deep trouble. They both knew that the woman before them was, for some reason, suddenly very unstable.

Sable.

* * *

End part 14… OMG SWERVE! 


	15. Chapter 15

Well, I stayed up very late Thursday and Friday to do this cause I was threatened with bodily harm… enjoy.

**Warning! This part contains implications of female on male rape. If this makes you uncomfortable, please do not read. Thank you.**

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Sable kept the gun trained on Rob and Lilian. "You. Sit down," she ordered Rob. Looking around the kitchen, she kept the gun trained on the two as she reached out and grabbed the phone off the wall. She tore the cord out of the wall, thrusting the wire at Lilian. "Tie him up. Now. And don't think of trying anything funny, or I'll kill her," she warned Rob, who had a murderous look in his eyes.

Lilian took the wire, glaring at Sable as she did so. "I'm sorry," she murmured softly, tying Rob's hands behind his back as loosely as possible. She finished, stepping back as Sable stepped forward, looking at Lilian's handiwork.

"Nice try, Blondie," Sable said with a shake of the head. She stepped forward, keeping the gun trained at Lilian as she tightened the knots, adding a few loops of her own so Rob couldn't move his hands. Frustrated, he pulled at the cord, pissed when his hands didn't budge an inch. "Now you, sit down," Sable ordered Lilian, gesturing to the chair next to Rob and turning to see if there was anything to tie Lilian up with. Seeing the gun pointed away from Rob and her, Lilian lunged forward.

Sable saw Lilian moving out of the corner of her eye, immediately bringing the pistol up and whipping Lilian across the face, sending the little blonde falling to the floor, dazed. Sable reached down and grabbed Lilian by the shirt, throwing her into a chair as Rob furiously struggled against the wire binding his hands, wincing slightly as the wire cut into his hands. "That was stupid," Sable ground out, grabbing the cord from the phone and tying Lilian's hands tightly behind her back as well.

'Fuck,' Lilian thought, wincing at the pain in her cheek and the feeling of blood trailing down her cheek. 'Maybe I should have let John buy that cordless phone for the kitchen after all.' She moved her hands slightly, using her long fingers to feel the knots that Sable had used to tie her hands together. 'Good,' she thought, stretching her fingers to begin working the knots. Sable had used a series of three simple binding knots, a type of knot that was fairly easy to work out with patience. Lilian almost laughed, thinking that something John had taught her had finally come in handy.

During a camping trip a few years ago, before he became overly abusive, John had showed Lilian different types of knots and how to work them out. He had even tied her hands up, giving her the chance to work the knots out while she was captive. However, she had been able to untie her hands from the front, being able to see what she was doing. Now, Lilian had to undo these knots without looking.

"Why the hell are you doing this?" Rob asked angrily, breaking the little blonde from her thoughts when he asked the question, glaring up at Sable before glancing worriedly at Lilian. That blow to the head couldn't have been good for her healing concussion. Luckily, the cut on her cheek didn't look too deep, so she probably wouldn't even need stitches. Still, that trauma couldn't be good for her head…

Sable laughed, pulling a chair up so she could sit in front of the two. "Ah… it's kinda complicated," Sable said with a sick grin. "You see… it all goes back to you suddenly showing up last week, Lilian."

"What the fuck do I have to do with anything?" Lilian asked, continuing to work the knot as subtly as possible.

"Everything, my darling… you see, I was supposed to be the one who was supposed to be with Rob. Then, you showed up, and Stephanie put YOU with Rob, instead of ME! Do you get it! I was supposed to be the one with him! Not you!" Sable yelled, waving the gun in Lilian's face, feeling somewhat angrier when Lilian didn't even flinch.

"You sick bitch," Rob ground out, again pulling at the wire. "Stephanie would have never put me with you because I can't stand your fucking guts!"

"So…" Sable continued, ignoring Rob's protests, "I made a phone call. It was well known that your husband had abused you, Lilian, so who do you think was the best person to help me get revenge against the two of you? Your dear husband, John Garrett." Lilian didn't respond, instead giving Sable a harsh glare. "So, we planned it all out… he left you that threatening phone call, knowing you'd freak out and forget to save the message. Then, we tried to get rid of you, Trish, and Lita, but you foiled our plans. So, we got John in the arena, figuring that you would somehow see him. When you and Rob left, we ran you off the road. You weren't supposed to live, but you ruined our plans again."

"I figured John was beginning to become more of a nuisance then a help when I realized you were still alive. Two tries and he didn't get rid of you," Sable continued, ignoring the looks of disbelief that Rob and Lilian were giving her. "So, I told him we needed to head back to Tampa to regroup. We stopped at a rest stop, and I slipped some sleeping pills into his soda. Then, I instigated a fight and he left me at the rest stop. I knew he would get into a car crash, and I was right. I also knew that Lilian would want to identify him and would head back to the house that she and John lived in afterwards. So, I came here and waited for you to show up… for the right moment to catch you off guard… and now I'm going to kill the both of you."

Lilian shook her head, trying to comprehend what the blonde vixen was admitting. "You'll never get away with this. Stephanie and them are expecting us any moment now. She's gonna call when we don't show up soon," she told Sable, still patiently working the knots.

"See, I figured that," Sable said, tracing the gun along Rob's jaw. She bent forward, her cleavage in his face as she trailed her hand along his waist to reach for his cell phone. He turned his face, gritting his teeth in frustration to stop himself from saying something. "Rob's going to call Stephanie and tell her that you guys got tied up at the house and won't be back for a few hours. Tied up… that's amusing, isn't it? By the time they figure something is wrong, I'll be long gone... and you'll be dead."

Sable flipped through his contacts, finding Stephanie's name quickly. Pushing send, she held the phone to Rob's ear, aiming the gun at Lilian. "You say one funny thing and I'll put a bullet in her head right now," Sable warned him.

"Hey, Rob. How'd everything go at the morgue?" Stephanie greeted him after the phone rang a couple times.

"Fine, Steph. It was John," he said, continuing to give Sable an angry look. "Look, Lil and I are just going to stay at her place for awhile. She wants to get some things squared away right away," Rob added.

Stephanie paused, then said, "Okay. That's a bummer, cause we were going to surprise Lilian and take her out tonight to celebrate surviving these past few crazy days with an official welcome back party."

"Yeah, bummer. Lilian doesn't want to do anything tonight. She's kinda worn out," Rob lied, sending an apologetic look in Lilian's direction.

"Okay…" Steph said after a moment. "Take care, okay?"

"Yeah, we will… hey, look, Steph, before I forget, Lil and I are probably going to stay here till the next show. I don't really have time to can you call, so can you call my brother and ask him to take care of the cat for a few extra days?"

A pause met his words, then Stephanie spoke. "Rob, you don't have a cat."

"I know," Rob said with a laugh. "He's not going to like that. She's a real wild cat." He glanced at Sable, relieved to see that she hadn't picked up on the message that he was trying to send Stephanie. Rather, the blonde vixen yawned, studying the nails on the hand that was holding the gun.

"Rob, do you need me to send police there?" Stephanie asked worriedly.

"Yeah, that'd be cool," Rob said casually. "Thanks, Steph, you're a lifesaver."

"Hang in there, Rob. They'll be there as soon as possible." Rob looked at Sable, who grabbed the phone and closed it, sliding it across the table. "I did what you said. What now?"

"Well… we have some time now. So… I figure I can do something that I've wanted to do for the last five years before I kill you and your little blonde slut over there."

"What's that?" Rob asked, angry that she was talking about Lilian that way.

"Fuck the shit out of you." With this, Sable stood slowly, pushing the chair out of the way. She stepped over to Rob, straddling his hips and sitting on his lap. "And the best thing is your little girlfriend is going to have to watch." Lilian worked furiously at the knots, relieved when one of them finally gave. Quickly, she reached up, feeling that there were still two knots to work out.

"Stop it, please!" Lilian cried, watching as Sable kissed Rob roughly, him trying to pull his face away, only to freeze when Sable harshly jammed the gun into his stomach.

"What, are you jealous, Lilian?" Sable asked sarcastically, turning her attention to the small blonde. "Because I swing both ways. I can do you next as he watches."

"I'm going to kill you, you fucking bitch!" Lilian yelled, fighting desperately against the ropes.

"No, you won't," Sable laughed. "You're not doing anything." With that, she turned her attention back to Rob, again kissing him. She pulled back, unbuttoning his shirt slowly. Bending over she licked his chest, laughing as he tried to pull back. "It's only foreplay, Rob. Relax, darling. It'll be a lot better that way." Lilian felt another one of the knots give, the cord giving up quite a bit. Still, she needed to get this last knot out…

Sable tossed the gun aside, getting on her knees to unbutton Rob's jeans with her teeth. Rob squirmed uncomfortably, dread settling in his stomach when he realized he was going to be raped by Sable and there was nothing he could do about it. She unzipped his pants, standing up to place her hands on his hips to push his jeans down. "Are you ready for this, baby?" Sable whispered, smirking at Rob.

Rob never had the chance to respond, as 100 pounds of Lilian slammed into Sable, sending the two blondes reeling into the kitchen table, the gun and Rob's phone falling off the edge and out of sight at the impact. Sable and Lilian both fell. Rob watched, shocked, as the two women stood up at the same time, squaring off. He wasn't sure how Lilian had broke free, but he sure was glad.

"I'm going to kill you," Sable told Lilian.

"Let's see if you can actually fight without a gun or car on your side," Lilian responded angrily.

Sable threw the first punch, one that Lilian ducked. Sable, however, followed up with a hard kick that connected with Lilian's ribs. The small blonde growled, ignoring the pain, again lunging at Sable, taking the blonde down with a spear. She mounted Sable, throwing a right hook that connected with Sable's jaw. She reared back, preparing to throw another punch when the blonde vixen turned the tables, rolling over so Lilian was underneath her. Sable drove her knee into Lilian's side, feeling satisfied when Lilian groaned in pain. She followed up with a left hook, splitting open the wound caused by the gun fifteen minutes ago on her cheek even more. Sable laced her fingers in Lilian's hair, slamming her head down on the hard floor twice.

Sable wrapped a hand around Lilian's throat, squeezing hard. Lilian glanced over, dazed and choking, seeing the terrified look on Rob's face. She could see his lips moving but had no idea what he was saying. 'I'm not ready to give up on this,' Lilian thought, seeing Rob fighting so desperately to get to her. Getting a second wind, she reached up, wrapping both hands around Sable's wrist and tugging as hard as possible. She felt satisfied when Sable let go suddenly, even more so when she heard a bone snap in the blonde's wrist.

Lilian reversed positions, again mounting Sable. She reared back, punching the blonde as hard as possible. "This is for trying to kill me," Lilian growled, grabbing her shirt and punching her again, ignoring the sudden numbness in her hand, knowing that she probably broke her hand. "And this is for ruining a great moment between me and Rob!" She punched Sable one last time with all the strength in her body, watching as the blonde lay flat on her back, not moving.

Lilian glared down at Sable for a few tense moments before turning to Rob, who was looking at her with wide eyes. "Wow," Rob said, his eyebrows raised. "That was so unbelievably sexy. Remind me never to piss you off."

Lilian finally laughed, shaking her head as she stepped behind Rob, untying the wire around his wrists. She ignored the pain in her ribs, hand, and head, wincing when she saw that her thumb was swelling badly. She finally got Rob untied, allowing him to envelope her in his arms when he stood, holding her closely to him. Lilian shakily reached down, zippering his pants up and buttoning them for him. "Thanks," he whispered, leaning back to look at her. "Shall we try this again?" he whispered, pulling her gently to him.

Lilian nodded, enjoying the feeling of being pressed across Rob's bare chest, closing her eyes, only to have them shoot open when no less than six police officers burst into the kitchen, their guns drawn. Stephanie, Benoit, Lita, Shawn, Torrie, Billy, Trish, and Bubba quickly followed, shock registering on their faces as they looked between Rob holding Lilian close and Sable laying unconscious on the floor.

"Great timing, guys," Rob said sarcastically to his friends. "Lilian did all the hard work and you come in like the Calvary two minutes too late." No one said anything, rather choosing to merely continue staring in shock. "Oye," Rob muttered, laughing slightly. "We're never going to hear the end of this one."

"Imagine if I hadn't buttoned your pants up," Lilian replied softly. Rob snorted, allowing a police officer to gently guide Lilian away from him. He glanced at his friends, who all were now sporting grins. Bubba was the first to speak up, speaking what the rest of the group was thinking.

"It's about fucking time."

* * *

End Part 15… I hope you guys liked this chapter cause I put all my creative juices into it. 


	16. Chapter 16

Lilian yawned, staring up at the ceiling of the hospital room, bored out of her mind. There was nothing good on television, she had finished the book Trish and Lita had bought her, and her roommate, a twenty-two year old with a surgically repaired broken leg, was fast asleep. Lilian felt bad for the girl, who had been shoved down the stairs by her boyfriend in a fit of rage, but kind of wished that her roommate was awake so they could talk.

Lilian glanced down at her hand, glaring at the pink cast that was encased around her broken right thumb and hand. Okay, so maybe she had let her temper get the better of her when she was fighting Sable. Still, despite the pain of a broken bone, it had felt awesome to knock out the bitch who had tried to kill her and her friends, the bitch who had killed her husband, the bitch who had tried to violate…

No, she wasn't going to go there. Lilian closed her eyes briefly, trying to get the image of Sable harassing Rob out of her mind. She opened them again, staring up at the ceiling again. Absently, she touched the bandage on her head, rubbing the white gauze covering the stitches she had needed to close up the wound as a result of the accident cause by Sable. Luckily, she hadn't needed those stitches redone after fighting with Sable. Also, the laceration on her face, thanks to being pistol whipped, hadn't even needed stitches. However, her concussion had been jarred, causing the doctor to make the decision to keep her for a few days of observation.

The little blonde yawned again, glancing over at her roommate, hoping that the young lady had suddenly woken up. Lilian sighed, bummed out she still remained sleeping. It turned out that her roommate had been a huge fan of wrestling since she was about four, and was a huge fan of Lilian's. When she had seen the plethora of WWE superstars enter the room, she had been in absolute awe, especially when all of them had agreed to sign her cast. She had also looked like she was going to faint when Shawn signed her cast. The two ladies had spent hours on end talking about wrestling, and Lilian had even opened up to her roommate about the problems she had with John when she learned the young lady was a victim of abuse.

"Hey, girl, how are you doing?" Lilian's head snapped toward the door, a huge grin spreading on her face when she saw Rob entering the room, obviously hiding something.

"Whatcha got? Something for me?" Lilian asked eagerly, trying to see what Rob held behind his back.

"Yeah, you and Lisa, but looks like our friend is asleep," Rob said, brandishing two milkshakes, handing one to Lilian and setting one aside when he saw Lilian's roommate was fast asleep. "Maybe she'll wake up soon."

"Maybe," Lilian agreed, happily taking a drink of the chocolate shake Rob had brought. "God, that's good."

"So, has a doctor been in to see you today?" Rob asked, settling down next to Lilian and gently touching the cast on her hand, stroking her hand gently, afraid to hurt her.

"Yeah, he came in to do some more tests for my concussion," Lilian said, setting the shake down for a minute. "He said I'm making good progress. I haven't had a headache in a couple days and my hand is doing better, so I'll probably be released tomorrow."

"Cool," Rob said, grinning at her.

"But, apparently I need to take better care of myself. I lost weight while I was with John, and the doctor wants me to regain that weight, if not more. He even wanted to set me up with a nutritionist, but I put down my foot there."

"Well, looks like you're off to a good start," Rob replied, shrugging his shoulders as he gestured to the shake she was nursing.

"I can't wait to get out of here," Lilian said with a sigh. "They sent a freaking shrink in here to talk to me cause I beat the shit out of Sable."

"What?" Rob asked incredulously. "Why?"

"Well, apparently, they think I have some anger issues. I insisted I don't but I don't think they believe me. I felt kinda bad cause the shrink kept shuddering during our little chat."

"Well, I guess she wasn't used to someone who is 5'5'' and barely breaking 100 pounds," Rob told her with a confused shrug.

"The shrink was a guy," Lilian replied, deadpan. Seeing the shocked look on Rob's face, she started snickering, Rob joining in when he realized Lilian was joking. "So how is everything in the outside world? I'm going out of my mind in here. I'm about to start counting the little holes in the ceiling tiles," Lilian said, adjusting a little bit so she could look at Rob better.

"Well, things in the WWE are the same. I got my ass handed to me by Kurt, Shelton, and Charlie at Raw last night since you weren't there. That should really heat things up for Wrestlemania in two weeks. Hopefully you'll be there next week so we can finally build the angle to the point where you, Charlie, and Shelton are officially banned from ringside… of course, we know where that will go."

Lilian snorted, shaking her head. "You mean to tell me that three world class athletes can't defeat you when I'm with you? That's a real confidence builder."

"I know," Rob replied, smiling as he remembered the sound of Lilian's name being chanted throughout the arena. "But people wanted you to come out. As soon as they started beating on me, the fans were chanting for you."

"For real?"

"I swear," Rob replied, holding up one hand in defense. "It looks like you're well loved."

"Well, that's a nice feeling," Lilian said, smiling. She looked at Rob, her smile softening as Rob reached a hand up, gently stroking her cheek, being careful to avoid the cut on her face and the fading bruise on her jaw.

"You are so pretty," Rob whispered, carefully taking hold of her broken hand, continuing to stroke the side of her face. Lilian merely looked at him shyly, her eyes shining as Rob's lips slowly came towards hers. She closed her eyes, waiting eagerly for his lips to brush hers…

…but it never came. Stephanie bustled into the room, whistling cheerfully as Rob and Lilian quickly pulled apart at the intrusion, both blushing slightly. She entered the room, oblivious to the disruption as she set down a bouquet of flowers near Lilian's bed and walked over to Lisa's bed, stopping her whistling when she saw the young woman was asleep. Stephanie turned her attention back to her friends, watching as Rob dropped his hand from Lilian's jaw with a shake of his head.

"Hey, guys," Stephanie said softly, not wanting to wake Lilian's roommate. "What's new?"

"Not much," Lilian said, shrugging. "I'll probably be released tomorrow, thank goodness. I'm going absolutely stir crazy in here."

"Well, that's good," Stephanie said with a small sigh, settling down in a chair next to Rob. "We really miss you."

"Yeah, I miss you guys too. Plus, I need to explain what my role is for Wrestlemania. You hear anything about Sable and what's gonna happen to her?"

"Well, last time I talked to the lawyer, apparently she confessed to setting up the attempted murders of Lilian, Lita, Trish, and Rob and giving John the sleeping pills that caused him to crash his car. She also admitted to holding you two hostage and… uh, attempting to sexually assault Rob." Stephanie said the last part quickly, feeling horrible when Rob's cheeks flushed. "So, she will be going away for a very long time," Stephanie concluded. "She agreed to a sentence of eight consecutive life terms with no chance of parole. They are just waiting to finalize everything in court. That should be happening sometime next week."

"She agreed to that?" Lilian asked incredulously. "That's a shitty deal."

"Well, considering the D.A. was pushing for the death penalty, I'd say Sable got off pretty well," Stephanie replied, folding her arms. "She can rot in prison for the rest of her life as far as I am concerned. They have the doctors and facilities available to get her the help she obviously needs."

Lilian shook her head, leaning back. "So, is it possible that this nightmare is finally over this time?" she asked, looking at Stephanie and Rob.

"I think so," Rob said. "As soon as you get out of this hospital and your head and hand are better, you can move onto new and better beginnings."

"I like the sound of that," Lilian said with an approving nod. "New and better beginnings. It kinda fits perfectly with the story of my life." Stephanie and Rob nodded their agreement, smiling at Lilian before quickly settling into a quiet albeit somewhat heated discussion about baseball.

The little blonde in the bed watched, tears shining as she watched her two friends… no, her two family members talk. It felt good to have a real family with her.

* * *

End part 16… Katy, please put all knives and instruments of torture away! 


	17. Chapter 17

"Hey, girl," Stephanie said, walking up next to Lilian, who was intently watching the match between Rob and Kurt on a backstage monitor. Shelton and Charlie stood next to Lilian, waiting for their cue to run down to the ring. However, when the owner made her way over, the two gentleman respectfully left, allowing the two ladies to talk.

"Hey," Lilian replied, flicking her gaze to Stephanie for a brief moment. "Great show tonight."

"Yeah," Stephanie agreed, thinking about the classic match that Shawn and Chris had given the fans, with Chris barely getting the win with a rollup. Stephanie thought the best part of that match was when the two friends had shook hands, showing the ultimate respect to each other and the fans. She also thought the women's tag team championship match went well, which saw Trish and Lita win over the team of Ivory and Molly. She shook her head, breaking her thoughts as she said, "The best part is yet to come. Imagine the reaction from the Philadelphia fans when Rob finally wins the title."

"I know," Lilian said. "The roof's gonna blow off the place. Philly fans are awesome as it is, but imagine the reaction when Rob wins."

"Yeah, well, if anyone deserves that belt, it's Rob," Stephanie said. She glanced at Lilian, noticing the small blonde looked nervous. "You okay? You look nervous."

"Huh?" Lilian asked, seeing the worried look on Stephanie's face. "Well, yeah, a little. But it's natural, I guess."

"Yeah," Stephanie agreed, looking at her broken hand encased in her pink cast. "You sure you'll be okay out there with your hand in a cast?" Stephanie asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine, Steph," Lilian insisted, taking a deep breath, her nerves spreading with each moment. "I've been worse off than this before. Kurt, Shelton, and Charlie talked to me before the match and said they weren't going to target it. I'm gonna use it in one spot, but otherwise, it's like the cast isn't even there."

Stephanie nodded, turning her attention back to the television monitor. "Well, it looks like it's your big moment," Stephanie said, patting Lilian on the back, the two ladies nearly laughing at the dramatic gasp the ruckus Philadelphia crowd let out when Kurt crashed into referee Mike Chioda, sending the official crashing to the mat. Lilian herself winced when Mike's head slammed off the turnbuckle, making the token ref bump look that much more convincing. "Go have fun out there."

The crowd's nervous buzzing turned to boos when Charlie and Shelton ran to the ring, their obvious intent being to beat down Rob so they could help Angle win. After about a minute, Lilian left the backstage area and ran down the long ramp way, her heart fluttering nervously as the crowd popped loudly at her appearance.

She slid into the ring easily, ducking when Shelton took a wild swing at her and went sailing across the ring. Lilian ducked again when Charlie made a grab for her, pushing him in the back and sending the athlete crashing into his tag team partner. The pair fell together to the outside of the ring. Lilian stood at the ropes, laughing along with the crowd at the two men who had yet again been foiled by the little blonde.

Lilian nearly screamed when she felt Kurt's hand wrap in her hair, pulling her to him. She turned, hearing Kurt yell that he was going to snap her ankle in two. Lilian reared back, whacking Kurt in the side of the face with her cast with enough force to make it look convincing yet not hurt him. The Olympic champion let go, turning around in time to catch the WWE Championship belt that Rob tossed to him, setting up the Van Daminator.

Kurt crumpled to the ground in perfect position for Rob to gracefully leap to the top of the ropes to hit the Five Star Frog Splash. Lilian knelt down next to Mike Chioda, who was beginning to stir, desperately shaking the shoulder of the senior referee. Mike shook his head, trying to shake the cobwebs out of his head, crawling slowly over to the spot where Rob had hooked the leg of Kurt Angle. Lilian leapt out of the ring, watching as it seemed to take forever for Mike to make his way over to make the count.

"One… two… three!" Lilian counted along with the crowd, jumping when Mike signaled for the bell to be rung and the crowd erupted into cheers. "Yes!" she shouted, climbing back into the ring and grabbing the title belt from the mat, handing it to Rob as his music began blaring through the sound system of the arena. Rob stayed on his knees, simply staring at the golden belt that had eluded him for the majority of his long career until this very moment. Lilian wiped a tear from her eyes, simply allowing Rob to soak up the joy of the moment before he finally stood, smiling tearfully at Lilian.

Mike Chioda walked up to the pair, standing between them. The referee raised one of each of their hands in victory, gently guiding the two so they could pose for each side of the packed arena. He let go of their wrists, grinning at Lilian and Rob as the two hugged for a long time, unaware of the fact that Kurt, Shelton, and Charlie were making their way to the back. Mike patted Rob on the back in a symbol of respect and congratulations as confetti began dropping from the ceiling.

The two broke apart, Lilian raising Rob's hand in victory again. Mike joined the pair again, raising Rob's hand, allowing the new WWE champion to bask in the glory to the sound of the fans chanting his initials in unison.

Lilian wrapped her arms around Rob's waist again, pulling the new champion to her. "Congrats. The biggest moment of your career has finally arrived," Lilian whispered in his ear, stroking his sweaty back with her left hand.

"Yeah, of my career, but the biggest, best moment of my life is still coming," Rob replied, stepping back a little, keeping his hands on Lilian's arms.

"What do you mean?" Lilian asked, somewhat confused when Rob tossed the title belt to Mike, the referee grinning as he easily caught the belt, looping it through his arms, leaning back against the turnbuckle.

"This is the best moment of my life," Rob replied, gently pulling Lilian to him, pressing his lips to hers to a massive pop from the crowd. His arms encircled her waist, one hand moving up her back to the back of her head, his palm resting on the base of her neck as he gently kissed her.

Lilian was surprised at first, then closed her eyes, enjoying the sensation of his lips pressed against hers. She absently pressed her hand to the back of his head, kissing him back. After several long moments, the two finally broke apart, the crowd of 25,000 strong cheering the two along as they smiled sheepishly at each other.

Rob grabbed Lilian's hand, raising the little blonde's arm in victory. Mike handed Rob the WWE championship back, finally stepping out of the ring so the pair could continue soaking up the glory of being on the top of the wrestling world. Rob held the championship between the two of them, Lilian holding on so the two of them raised the belt together, signifying their unity as a team.

Rob and Lilian watched as Bubba, D'Von, Chris, Shawn, and Billy all made their way from the back, smiles on their faces. The five men entered the ring, each taking time to congratulate Rob. Bubba, D'Von, and Chris had all been in ECW with Rob, and knew what this moment meant to Rob, to finally win a major championship. Shawn and Billy stepped up, too, each shaking Rob's hand in respect.

Bubba and D'Von lifted Rob on their shoulders, Chris and Shawn doing the same to Lilian. Again, they raised the title belt together in victory, noticing that many in the crowd were wiping tears from their eyes. After several minutes of more celebrating, Lilian and Rob finally made their way to the back together, pausing at the top of the ramp for a few more moments before entering the backstage area.

Once they went through the curtain that separated fiction from reality, Lilian and Rob were met with the majority of the locker room standing there, applauding Rob on his hard fought victory. Stephanie stepped up, hugging Rob and Lilian. "Congratulations," she whispered. "In more ways than one, apparently!" Stephanie added, glancing towards Rob and Lilian's entwined hands.

"I am so proud of both of you," Trish said, hugging Lilian before turning and doing the same to Rob. "I can't believe you held out this long from kissing her!"

"Well, we kept trying but we'd get interrupted… by Sable, then by the police, then by Steph," Rob pointed out, winking at Stephanie when she blushed. "It's pretty funny the most convenient place to share our first kiss was in a wrestling ring surrounded by 25,000 screaming fans!"

"Yeah, and as for you, Mr. Chioda, did you have something planned with Rob?" Lilian asked, raising her eyebrows at the referee who had taken the belt from Rob so they could kiss.

Mike grinned, shaking his head and holding his hands up in surrender. "I claim to know nothing."

The group laughed. "Come on, I know a great bar on Broad Street," Rob said. "My treat. It's time we celebrate!"

The group cheered, all going their separate ways, leaving Lilian and Rob standing in the gorilla together. Lilian merely grinned shyly at Rob, ducking her head slightly before speaking.

"I want to thank you for everything you've done for me these past few weeks. You accepted me when I came crawling back, you stuck with me when John and Sable tried to hurt me and you, and you've made me feel like I'm loved. So thanks," Lilian stood on her toes, kissing Rob on the cheek.

"It's not a problem," Rob replied softly. "Because I love you."

"I love you, too," Lilian whispered. Rob encircled his arms around her waist again, guiding her toward him so they could kiss. Before their lips met, however, a voice spoke up.

"Is this the point where I interrupt a sappy moment?" Shawn asked, a sly look on his face when Lilian and Rob hastily broke apart.

"Shawn, you ass! Leave them alone!" Lita exclaimed, pulling her fiancé away. "Sorry. Please, continue," Lita added, pulling Shawn away and preparing to lecture him.

Lilian and Rob laughed, shaking their heads. Rob pulled her back towards him, kissing her in their second of many kisses.

* * *

End Part 17/18 


	18. Chapter 18

Two Years Later

"Have I ever told you guys how much I hate dresses?" Stephanie grumbled to Trish, Lilian, Torrie, and Lita, tugging at her bridesmaid dress. "When I get married, all of you are going to wear pantsuits," she added, swiping at the material of the dress as an added emphasis.

Lita laughed, shaking her head as she looked once again at the golden band encircling her finger. "Steph, you can do whatever you want for your wedding, but I think we did a good job picking out nice, comfy dresses."

"Yeah, I know," Stephanie said, "I just really hate dressing up."

The girls joined in the laughter, patiently waiting for the guests to finish seating at Lita and Shawn's reception so the wedding party could make their way into the room for the reception to begin. "I can't believe you and Shawn are finally married," Lilian said with a shake of her head. "You look so beautiful, Li!"

Lita smiled at her friend, nodding her agreement. "I can't believe it either," Lita replied. "And thanks. You look awesome too, Lil."

"Thanks," Lilian said with a small blush. She felt awesome, too. It had taken her only a little bit of time to regain the weight she had lost while she was married to John, but she finally gained it back. Now, she felt healthier and more feminine. She glanced down at the silky purple dress, twirling a little so she could admire how the fabric clung to her curves.

"So, who here isn't surprised that it took Lilian less that three minutes into the ceremony to start bawling her eyes out?" Trish asked, a sly smile spreading on her face when Lilian lightly punched her arm.

"Shut up!" Lilian said with a laugh. "Weddings make me cry!"

"Honey, Homeward Bound makes you cry," Steph pointed out, ducking when Lilian threatened to throw her bouquet of flowers at the owner of WWE. Lilian joined in the ensuing laughter, though, knowing it was true that she was a sucker for sappy moments.

"Ladies, we are ready to introduce you now," the DJ said, walking away quickly so he could let the guys know as well. After a few moments, the DJ got on the microphone. "Good evening, ladies and gentleman!" he said, drawing cheers from the crowd of guests. "Welcome to the wedding reception of Mr. and Mrs. Michaels. Before we get to the fun, I'm going to introduce the wedding party." He paused, hitting a button so 'Welcome to the Jungle' by Guns and Roses began playing.

"First up, we have Maid of Honor Stephanie McMahon and Best Man Chris Benoit!" The guests cheered as Stephanie and Chris walked out of separate doors, meeting in the center of the hall to walk to the main table together. Chris and Stephanie grinned, smiling at onlookers as they made the walk up to the table, standing.

"Next, please welcome Bridesmaid Torrie Wilson and Groomsman Billy Kidman!" The crowd cheered again.

"Next, we have Bridesmaid Trish Stratus and Groomsman Ray Dudley!" Lilian stood with Lita, nearly laughing at the beaming look Trish gave an uncomfortable looking Bubba Ray, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere other than the reception hall wearing a tuxedo.

"And the final couple, Bridesmaid Lilian Garcia and Groomsman Rob Van Dam!" Lilian nearly groaned when the DJ said Rob's name, knowing before he even did it that Rob wouldn't be able to resist pointing to himself along with the DJ saying his name, drawing a laugh from the crowd. Lilian met up with Rob, taking his elbow when he offered it, smiling sheepishly at her. The two walked up the aisle, grinning at the onlookers who were cheering them on.

"And finally, for the first time in public, Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Michaels!" The guests stood up, cheering Lita and Shawn on as they made their way up the aisle together, stopping in the middle of the dance floor to share their first dance as a married couple.

Lilian smiled, tears welling in her eyes when Shawn and Lita embraced, the looks in their eyes showing how in love they were in with each other. She felt Rob grip her hand lightly, holding her hand as they watched Lita and Shawn slowly sway to the music for several minutes, speaking softly to each other, obviously sharing a personal moment among 200 of their closest friends and family.

Finally, the song was over, Lilian brushing away tears by this time. "All right, folks!" the DJ said, flicking the music to something more upbeat. "Now let's have some fun!"

Two hours later, feeling the need for some fresh air, Lilian sat outside under a tree, staring up at the stars as she thought. She didn't even flinch when she felt someone walking up the pathway towards her, knowing that it was Rob.

"Hey, you," Rob said softly, settling down next to Lilian, taking her hand in his and kissing it gently. "Pretty night out, huh?"

"It's beautiful," Lilian agreed. "I can see why Lita and Shawn love Texas so much."

Rob nodded in agreement, then sighed, unbuttoning the second button of his shirt. The tie had long ago been abandoned, along with the top button of the shirt.

"What's wrong, baby?" Lilian asked, noticing how agitated and nervous Rob suddenly looked. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Rob said, wiping a hand over his brow. "It's just…"

"What's wrong, Rob? You know you can talk to me," Lilian said worriedly.

"That's just it, Lil. I can talk to you about everything, and you can talk to me about everything. It's just that… I love you with all my heart, Lilian, you know that, right?" Rob asked, standing up and pulling Lilian up with him.

"Of course, Rob. I love you, too," Lilian replied, somewhat confused.

Rob took a deep breath, chuckling slightly at how nervous he sounded. "Look, Lil, what I'm trying to say is this. These past two years have been simply amazing. I love having you as a girlfriend, and I think we are ready to take our relationship to the next level." With another deep, nervous breath, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a black velvet box. Lilian covered her mouth with her hand, tears shining in her eyes when she finally realized why Rob was so nervous. Rob bent down on one knee, opening the box and holding it up to Lilian.

"Lilian Garcia, I love you so much. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?" Rob asked, taking the ring out of the box and sliding it onto Lilian's left ring finger.

Lilian smiled through her tears, looking down at the simple yet beautiful ring that Rob had proposed to her with. It was a simple gold band with a large diamond surrounded by four smaller rubies. Seeing the nervous look on Rob's face, she smiled down at him, murmuring one word that would change both of their lives, to lead them to yet another new beginning.

"Yes."

* * *

Finished.

Wow.

Two years, six months, and eight days after posting the first chapter to New Beginnings, it's finally done. 25,000 plus words, 18 chapters, and many reviews later, and it's over. NB has been my longest fic, both in word count and in chapter count.

This fic is one that meant a lot to me. When I began it, I was a scared sophomore in college, simply using any free time I had to write fanfiction. Now, I am a (semi)mature graduate and looking for a teaching job. In writing this, I wanted to give the readers something that was suspenseful yet interesting. I wanted the characters to be ones that you could emphasize with, support, love or hate. I hope that everyone who read this felt that way, cause I sure hated John and Sable while I was writing it.

I hope that everything made sense. I tried to explain my reasoning and give good details for the readers since this was set kinda in an AU setting. Most of all, however, I hope you enjoyed this story. It meant a lot to me while I was writing it, and it always remained in the back of my mind during long nights when I was trying to finish papers or my student teaching portfolio (If there are any education majors reading this, trust me when I say it's not the smartest idea to wait until the night before your teaching portfolio is due to do the editing! Twenty-four hours of no sleep and two trips to Wal-Mart are not a fun way to spend a Wednesday/Thursday night/morning).

Thank you to everyone who reviewed, especially Kristen, start-a-revolution, turquoisejem, losingmymind2, and Katy. You guys made me want to continue. All of your thoughts and reviews made me happy, even though Katy often threatened to harm me and torture me. LoL Trust me, however, when I say that all of your feedback is very appreciated. It means a lot to me as a writer, as I'm sure many of you understand. So thanks.

Take care of yourselves. And to quote our favorite blonde ring announcer, "Rock on!"


End file.
